Let's Blame it on Sleep Deprivation
by Wheynet
Summary: After a late night studying and being ousted from his dorm by his brother, Loki just wants to get some sleep. Thankfully Tony is a friend with an empty bed down the hall, but Tony's roommate is confused to come back to a stranger in his bed. 'Thanks for letting me... sleep with you' College AU
1. Let's Sleep Together

Hunched over in the study room, bright florescent lights flickering, Loki cradled his forehead in one hand, reading through the same paragraph he'd been 'reading' for the last three minutes. After the first two sentences his eyes blur slightly and they still move along the lines of text, but he has no idea what it says. He realizes it by the start of the next paragraph and goes back to start over. But it doesn't help. His eyelids droop so he tries to squeeze them tight and then open them like his sleep-depravity will somehow clear up in those two seconds.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes roughly, leaning back in the chair and groaning. He pulls his phone from his back pocket to check the time. It's late. Rather, early in the morning, earlier than Loki had expected, and it was no wonder he was exhausted. He flips the textbook shut, gathering his notebook and pens together in one pile and gets up, stopping at the door to the study room to sign the sheet, noting the time spent inside. The door clicks shut heavily behind him when he leaves and he slowly makes his way upstairs to the common area of the dormitory building. The common room is dark but for the televisions light throwing shadows around, a re-run of an old sitcom playing while someone slept on the couch, sitting up and head back on the rest. Loki goes over and sees that it's Bruce, and his girlfriend is lying on the couch with him, head in his lap facing the TV. He doesn't reach out to touch Bruce, but almost. The curly haired man never took well to being touched to wake up. Loki knew that after being punched in the face one night, something similar to tonight.

"Bruce?" he said gently, and got no response. He took the remote and turned down the volume of the show, quieting the raucous laugh-track. "Bruce."

Bruce's eyes flew open and he nearly gasped, jolting in his skin a little, enough to disturb the red-head in his lap. He looked up at Loki blearily and rubbed his eyes, getting the remote tossed in his lap between him and the woman.

"Let your girlfriend out before Maria catches you sleeping out here." Loki checked his phone again as he began to walk away to his room. "You have twenty minutes before she makes her morning rounds and restocks the coffee caddy."

Bruce groaned sleepily and thanked Loki before he went out of earshot down the hall. Loki didn't say anything, too tired to reply and he didn't need to anyway. Sometimes he felt like the dorm babysitter, giving warnings and sound advice, scurrying his peers away before the Resident Assistant could find them and write them up or whatever she did. A lot of angry glares and yelling.

Up another floor, Loki finally came to his room, and he stopped dead at the door. He could hear moaning. He sighed and listened, pushing out his lips as he wondered if it was coming from his room or not, but… it was of course. His roommate always had a girl over, and declined to signal the door any kind of 'do not disturb'. Loki put his ear to the door just in case, and heard another set of moaning through it. He backed away and grimaced, standing in the dark hall alone to figure out his choices. He wouldn't be able to sleep in the common room and of course not the hallway. But nobody ever said you couldn't sleep in someone else's room. Loki turned on his heel and meandered down to the other end of the hall, gently knocking on the door to 327. He wanted to lean his head on the door as he waited, so tired he could sleep on his feet. The door opened a moment later, revealing Tony in his lounge pants and wifebeater. He looked just as tired, but there was a faint bluish-white light of a computer screen glowing behind him.

"Hey," he greeted softly, a little confused. "What are you doing here? It's-" he glanced at his watch- "Five in the morning- Jesus, no wonder I'm tired."

"Sock on the doorknob at my place," Loki said with a sigh and Tony grunted in understanding. He opened the door a little wider and stepped away, welcoming Loki inside.

"You can sleep on his bed for now I guess." Tony pointed to the nicely made bed across from his own with his tablet pen. "I dunno where he is, but if he's not back by now then he's sleeping it off somewhere." He sat back in his bed, crosslegged and covers over him, but he pulled his computer close and grabbed a tablet off the bedside table, continuing whatever Loki had interrupted.

"He's not going to mind when he gets back?" Loki asked as he set his books down on the desk at the end of the room.

"Probably not- he sleeps in Bruce's girlfriend's dorm all the time. Sometimes she sleeps here."

"She sleeps here, as in this bed? Why not with Bruce?"

"He wants to make sure he's done with his therapy before they sleep together."

"Ah," Loki hummed, kicking off his shoes before lying back on the borrowed bed. He opened his phone and set an alarm- he'd be tired but it would be early enough to go back to his own room, get a couple more hours of sleep, and then get to class. Thankfully he had no morning classes on Wednesdays. He wriggled into place on top of the covers, not wanting to invade further by putting his body in someone else's bed, and he pulled at the pillow, stuffing his face into it happily when he found that it was a feather pillow. His eyes stayed open for a few more seconds to watch Tony work diligently on his tablet, drawing, it seemed, and every now and then stopping to check something on the laptop, making a couple clicks and then going back to the tablet.

"What are you working on?" Loki mumbled sleepily.

"On the tablet or the computer?"

"Both."

"Well, I'm making an intelligent computer system on the lap, and designs for battle armor on the tablet."

Loki snorted and it came out as a sniff of laughter. "Battle armor?"

"Purely for welding and shop class."

Loki hummed knowingly as he drifted into sleep.

* * *

The dryer beeped loudly through the laundry room, almost echoing in the empty space. Sitting on top of the dryer in only his shorts, Clint turned down the corner of a page in his book and hopped down, wriggling his toes unhappily on the cold tiles. He snapped open the dryer door and stuffed his clothes into a mesh laundry bag, pulling the drawstrings to close the top and flinging it over his shoulder as he grabbed his book and padded out into the halls. The rest of the dormitory wasn't too cold, just the laundry room, but he was still in nothing but underwear, so it was chilly enough. He shook himself out of a shiver and sniffed, thumbing his book open to read as he walked through the building. There wouldn't be anyone up at this hour yet, except for the RA, and the pathways through the common rooms and halls were kept clear of shit to trip on, so he could read as he went. The lights were on in the kitchen as he walked by, and glasses clinked, pots gently clanged like someone was cleaning, and Clint poked his head in to find the RA stacking up mugs and setting up the coffee maker. He started to walk away, greeting her as he left.

"Morning, Maria."

And she greeted him in turn curtly but nicely, continuing on with her morning rituals. He trotted away and continued reading, climbing the stairs to his floor and going to the end of the hall. He opened the door to his room without preamble, and greeted Tony quietly. He wasn't surprised he was still awake, he had trouble sleeping most of the time and worked constantly instead. When he turned to his bed, ready to drop his bag of clean clothes on it, he froze at the sight of a dark silhouette there.

"What the fuck? Who is that?"

"Hm?" Tony was always immersed in his work.

"Why is there a person in my bed, Tony?" Clint wasn't angry about it, just confused.

"Oh, his roommate put a sock on the door, so- I didn't know where you were, I told him it was cool."

"I was washing my clothes- I've only been gone for an hour and a half."

Tony squinted and looked up at the room, unsure. "Really?"

Clint sighed and sat on the edge of his bed, shaking his head and tossing his book on the nightstand, covering the phone he didn't realize was there. Tony had no concept of time when he was working on something. He decided not to give a fuck, kicking his bag of laundry down the bed and lying down on top of the covers beside his bed-stealer.

"Who is this dude?" he asked and yawned.

"Guy from one of my classes. Lives down the hall with his brother."

"How'd they manage that?"

Tony hummed and glanced up at his laptop, squinting at a line of code before going back to his drawing. "I don't think it was intentional- he hates it."

Clint hummed and sighed, turning onto his side facing Tony and closing his eyes. There was just no room for the both of them without spooning, but this was Clint's bed and he'd make sure he had room. He pushed the other into the wall a little more harshly than intended with his ass, hearing him thunk against it and wake up some with a sharp inhale. He waved a hand behind him to swat at Clint weakly, cuddling closer to the wall to get away.

"Back off, Stark," he rasped tiredly. "I told you I'm not sleeping with you."

Tony snickered and drew on his tablet some more and Clint sighed.

"Really?"

Tony made no effort to answer, just smiling and drawing as Clint went to sleep.

* * *

His eyes snapped open at the sound of an alarm blaring loudly. It was't his alarm, he knew that, but he couldn't move, shocked awake and confused by the noise. He stopped breathing for a moment as an arm came over him, slapping at the tabletop for the phone that screamed to be thrown against the wall. The hand knocked Clint's book to the floor and grasped at the phone, clicking the snooze button and then going limp, hanging over Clint's shoulder. It was a new experience for Clint to wake up with someone in his bed, a male someone and not his best friend anyway. He didn't tend to bring conquests home to his room, preferring to use theirs or- outside was good too. Or the floor. Or wherever.

The arm slithered off him after a moment, and the body behind him pulled away, quietly shimmying down the bed and getting up. The alarm went off again and Clint hit the snooze button before the other could reach it, and he yawned and sat up, scratching his scalp and finger-combing his sandy-blonde hair tiredly. He looked up finally at his tall guest, who stood frozen near him, and smiled lightly.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Clint held out the phone for him to take and got up, stretching and then holding a hand out in greeting. "Clint Barton."

His bedmate hesitated a second before shaking his hand, and it occurred to Clint that he was in nothing but his shorts and the other was fully clothed. Awkward.

"Loki Odinson."

"Well, Loki," Clint sighed as he moved around the bed to find his laundry bag. "Sleep well?"

"I did, though I am going to sleep more in my own room right now- I'm sorry to have stolen your bed. Tony said you wouldn't be back."

"Yeah I was actually just doin' the laundry- Tony doesn't listen when he's in the zone." Clint found his jeans and started shoving his feet into them.

Loki sat on Tony's bed and pulled his shoes on, snorting at the sentiment. "He's very involved in his work."

"That's a nice way of saying he doesn't care about anything but himself."

"It is," Loki chuckled as he stood. He took his books and pens from the desk and held them at his front, and Clint sat on his bed, looking up at him and trying to hide the growing interest on his face. Loki took a deep, nervous breath and sighed.

"Well, thank you for letting me… sleep with you…" He furrowed his brows at how strange that sounded.

"No problem. I'll see you around."

He watched Loki leave, and let his body go slack when he was alone, resting his head in his hand and yawning again. He checked the time on his phone and scoffed, falling back onto the bed and rolling over, going back to sleep.

* * *

Loki wandered back to his room, dodging the peers in the hall that were trying to make it to their classes, or the ones that just now made it back to campus after a night of partying. Sometimes it was hard to tell them apart- they all looked tired and rumpled. He stopped and listened at his dorm room again, just in case, and heard nothing, relieved, he went in and closed out the noise of the morning commuters in the hall.

"Hey, where were you last night?"

Loki scoffed and put his textbooks on his small desk, putting the pens away in the desk caddy. "Does it matter- you spent the night having sex, so I couldn't sleep here anyway." He turned to his brother who sat at his own desk, laptop open to the school's email system.

Thor pursed his lips, becoming sheepish, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't think about that."

Loki just hummed and turned to his bed, toeing his shoes off again and starting to unbutton his pants, intent to be in his pajamas for a few hours before having to face the day.

"Well, I slept in Tony's room, and thankfully his roommate is a decent and forgiving guy. I had to sleep in his bed."

Thor went back to his computer while Loki changed, typing his password into the system to get to his email. "Bruce?"

"No, a Clint Barton."

"Hmph, never heard of him."

"Well, this is a school of thousands of students," Loki pointed out as he crawled under the covers and set an alarm on his phone. "I'm not surprised." He sifted under his pillow for his sleep mask and strapped it around his head before turning over to face the wall. If he had his way they would foil the window and keep it perpetually dark, but Thor preferred sunshine. So they did it his way.

"Are you not going to class?"

Loki sighed, exasperated. "It's Wednesday- I have no morning classes. Don't you ever look at the calendar? That's why we have it; that's why our schedules are on it."

"Well I forgot- would you stop biting my head off?"

"You don't want to see me biting your head off. Now please shut up and let me sleep!"

Thor huffed and shook his head, relenting the argument to get peace and clicked through his emails quietly.

* * *

 **I have no idea how big this thing is going to get. It will probably be a lot of oneshots in the same universe, but maybe not all in the right order, get me? I'm having fun with this one.**


	2. Let's Keep it a Secret

Loki sat in his tiny desk, notebook out and jotting down notes every now and then as his professor spoke and pointed at the projection screen. It was dark in the classroom but for the light of the projector, and the ceiling tiles actually had tiny holes and LED lights to simulate the night sky. The professor set it up right before the beginning of the year, and the first time the lights went out for the projector, all the students were wowed. Loki wished he had that in his dorm room.

"Now, the project is fairly easy," the professor said, switching off the projector and hitting the lights.

Loki's phone buzzed in his pocket and he reached for it, glancing at the sender. Steve. Loki grumbled and glanced up at the professor, keeping his pen ready to note down the requirements of the next assignment as he unlocked his phone and read Steve's message.

 _I know we've had a rocky couple of months, but I need a model. Can you come to the art building tonight?_

Loki scoffed and set his phone on the desk, taking another few notes before his desk vibrated with the phone again. He set his hand on it to quiet it, finding that Steve was actually calling him, and silenced it. The professor may or may not have heard it, but he didn't say anything anyways, continuing on. Loki set his pen down and took up the phone, tapping on the screen hotly. _I'm in class- I can't answer your every whim whenever you call me. And are you serious? Because I'm not going to model for you after that fiasco in the quad. You can't ask me to come model for you just because you want to see me naked; I told you we're done._

He let the teacher assign him a subject and wrote it down at the top of his paper, already scribbling notes for it just underneath. The phone buzzed again and Loki sighed, stuffing it back into his jeans for the rest of the class. When he filed out into the hall with the rest of his classmates, he looked at his phone again, finding a few more texts from Steve. He irritably read through them as he walked to the cafe at the bottom of the building.

 _It's not like that, Loki. I'm sorry._ _I really need a model tonight, please?_

Loki huffed through his nose and shook his head, replying to the messages once his steam faded. _I'm deleting you from my phone because I don't want to hear from you again. Please do the same for me._

He held his phone in one hand and his notebooks in the other as he walked into the cafe, looking over the throngs of heads for one he recognized and went to that table. He tossed his papers on the table and sat heavily in the chair, sighing as he opened his phone again. Tony sat across the table, typing on his laptop and referring to a book at his side.

"What's wrong Space-Chimp?"

Loki blew a stray hair out of his face and swiped through his contacts for Steve's file. The picture of his profile was a serene, loving expression on the blond's face, not really looking at the camera, and Loki felt his heart drop a little in sadness at the sight of it. He deleted the contact anyway.

"Steve's trying to get me to pose for him tonight, so I'm deleting him from my phone."

"You know that won't make him unable to reach you though. He still has your number."

"It's the principle of it. I'm making a point," Loki said distractedly, looking through all his contacts now, seeing who he could clear out. Going up from the bottom, he had to stop and look again at a name he didn't recognize, brows drawn together as he stared and tried to remember.

Cupid?

Obviously it wasn't the persons real name, but Loki couldn't remember ever putting someone in his phone by that moniker. Who would remind him of the boyish god who shot arrows of love into passers-by? He couldn't think of anyone. He opened a new text marked for the supposed 'god' in his contacts. _Who are you? I have you as 'Cupid' in my phone._

He didn't wait for an answer, setting his phone down and opening up his notebook to the project assigned to him, making a few more notes. Tony tapped away on his keyboard.

"Hey, did you read my holography paper?" he asked, and Loki didn't look up.

"Yes."

"What did you think? Sounded pretty good right?"

Loki's phone buzzed and he glanced at it, but directed his attention to Tony, just as Bruce arrived to sit with them. They made their quick greetings.

"It sounded plausible, yes."

Tony grinned, pleased with himself. "I think we should do it."

Bruce looked back and forth between them. "Do what?"

"Make an interactive hologram."

Loki broke away from the conversation as Bruce started to question Tony on his plan, picking up his phone to see the message awaiting him.

 _Cupid, huh? lol Must've made a good impression then. I'm… well, Cupid apparently. Let's stick with that. I like it. What can I call you?_

The reply confused Loki, not expecting a playful reply that dodged the question. He thought some more: maybe he met this person at a party- a player who plugged himself into his phone as a 'call me'. He still couldn't think of anyone. But he could get into this game, even if it didn't go anywhere, he could have fun. He thought for a minute, deciding what his secret name would be for this stranger, and picked something mythological as well, since he rather liked mythology. _Hecate._

He waited, watching the screen and seeing the ellipsis bubble pop up, indicating that Cupid was texting him back. Bruce and Tony discussed Tony's hologram plan without him, and Loki was fine with that for now, interested slightly in this new person. It took a moment before the reply came, and Loki wondered if his contact was looking up the name.

 _Are you a girl? Cuz… I don't get with chicks. Sorry._

Loki snorted and typed away, shaking his head. So he had looked it up. _I am not a girl. Am I not allowed to give myself a female name?_

 _No no. It's all good. Just wondering. You're a mythology junkie, aren't you? The type that gets offended when someone says Lucifer is the Devil._

 _I don't get offended, I just tell them they're stupid._

 _Lol alright._

Loki didn't reply further, setting his phone down and getting into the conversation with Tony and Bruce before he had to go to class again. He wasn't sure why he had entertained Cupid with a fake name for himself, why he would even leave it at that like they would contact each other again. They clearly didn't remember each other, so why start this up when they wouldn't meet? Loki let it alone and concentrated on his studies, going to class after a few more minutes and forgetting about the new contact.

* * *

Loki stood in the shower rinsing his hair of shampoo and reaching for the soap, feeling the gentle scrub of oatmeal along his skin under the warm spray. As he washed his face, he rubbed his temples, trying to relieve some strain in his one place of momentary solitude. Then there was a knock on the bathroom door. Loki sighed and let his hands fall to his sides in defeat.

"What?"

The door creaked open let in a small draft of cool air.

"I have to pee," Thor announced with shame. He knew Loki hated being interrupted in the shower.

"Go then."

Thor hustled in and shut the door, and Loki rinsed his face, turning around to get the conditioner out of his hair as well as he listened to the toilet seat being put up and Thor's stream hitting the water. He shook his head. What was a nice moment of warm, steamy, getting-clean shower was turned into a hand-washing in the urinals. Just listening to other men piss while cleaning up. He hated it.

"Who's Cupid?" Thor asked curiously, and Loki's eyes flew open, turning to see his brother in blurry colors through the glass doors.

"None of your business, that's who! Why are you looking through my phone?"

"I wasn't! I was checking the time and you got a text!"

He hadn't even heard the vibration on the countertop.

"It says-"

"Don't read it to me- stay out of my phone, Thor! You can't look at your own phone for the time?"

The toilet flushed and Loki watched Thor stand there, facing him through the doors as well.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Thor complained in his defense. "I didn't think about it."

"You don't think about much. Get out- I have to get dressed."

Thor puffed air at his brother and grumbled, exiting the bathroom and slamming the door. Loki sighed harshly and turned off the shower, sliding open the doors and whipping out his towel before smothering his face in it. He looked at his phone on the vanity as he dried off, stepping out on the bath rugs with wet feet. He shook his hair in the towel and wrapped it over his shoulders to catch the rest of the water, sitting on the toilet lid and unlocking his phone to read Cupid's message.

 _So, Hecate, where are we taking this thing? Wanna set some ground rules?_

Loki's eyebrows shot up in surprise, a little speechless. _Ground rules?_

 _Yeah, I'll start, you can tell me what you think._ _No names unless we actually meet in person, or unless we start dating._ _No distinguishing marks._ _No faces._ _No class names, no majors, no extracurricular activities/clubs._

 _Distinguishing marks?_ Loki stared at his phone, setting it on the counter to get dressed as he waited for the reply.

 _Birthmarks, tattoos. I guess piercings are okay… as long as they're not like super weird that if I saw you out and about I'd know it's you. I feel like you don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe I moved into this too fast._

Loki grabbed his phone as he left the bathroom, tossing his towel over the top of the shower doors and flicking the light off. He went to his bed and sat against the wall, pillow behind him, and he checked that Thor was on his computer, doing school work for once. _Are you looking for dick pics? Is that what this is?_

 _Oh hey not yet lol Think about it like this- my number appears in your phone under some phony name and you won't tell me yours, so one of us did it and doesn't remember, but apparently must've thought the other was hot. I'm down to be your sexting buddy if you are, Hecate. We can start small if you've never done it before lol_

Loki bit his lip, nervous and curious about the turn of events. A sexting buddy? Cupid wasn't wrong- he'd never sent naked pictures to anyone before, not even to Steve. But he guessed that since they had been in a steady relationship, and could have sex regularly, there was no need to send a picture.

Loki had felt awfully lonely and angry since he and Steve split up, finding that without the art museums to go to together, private modeling that tended to end up in sex, without the companionship of someone he didn't see as a friend-slash-classmate, he felt lifeless and dull.

 _We don't have to if you're not into that._

Decision made, Loki jumped back into the conversation, tapping back quickly with his heart hammering in nervous excitement. _No, no! I'm okay. You're right though- I've never done this. I'm not very… um. Sexy. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to- lol satisfy you._

Loki had never felt more embarrassed and giggly in his life, knowing he wanted to mess around with this stranger and admitting he didn't quite know how to go about it.

 _Lol I'll be the judge of that. Don't worry, it's easy. Here, I'll start you off._

And then a picture appeared in the line of messages, and Loki touched it to see it full. The figure was in a tight black tank, one tanned arm exposed and lined right down the center with a thick vein. The picture cut off just at the chin and right under the ribcage, just a small piece of what looked to be a good looking body. The lighting in the photo was bright, and it looked like a locker behind him, but Loki could see the muscular definition of Cupid's pectorals, and Loki was grateful that his chest wasn't so big that it looked like he had boobs. Thor tended to have that problem, and if Loki was going to be completely honest, Steve did too. He never told his ex-boyfriend that he disliked it, but he was sure there were things about his own body Steve hadn't liked either. When you're together and trying to make a relationship work, you didn't say your boyfriend had more breast than your mother, even if it was true.

Loki glanced up at his brother, still working at his desk, making sure he wasn't going to come over and blow Loki's whole game. He was immersed, thankfully, and Loki typed back to Cupid, writing and erasing and writing again, unsure of what to say. What would be too much and what's totally out of line? Good lord I need guidance, Loki thought.

* * *

Clint frowned as he read the incoming text, sitting on a long bench in the locker room hunched over with his elbows on his knees. There was some laughter echoing from other guys, but he ignored them, concentrating on the conversation in his phone.

 _The deal's off- you're going to be severely disappointed._

He typed back quickly, confused at the sudden turn. _What? Why?_

 _I don't look like that. I'm skinny and pale and not hot._

Clint rolled his eyes, snorting as he replied. Someone came up beside him, sitting on the bench with a towel wrapped around his waist and started pulling socks on. A couple guys padded by in a similar fashion and clapped Clint on the shoulder, congratulating him on his hard work in the gym. _Nobody thinks they're hot. I don't think I'm hot- I got this big ass nose that I'm totally down to get chopped off lol cuz that's sexy. Let me see you._

He waited a few moments, and when there was no sign of a quick reply, he typed and sent again. _Please? The first one's easy, it's just you in your regular shit so we can get comfortable together._

He let it rest for a minute after that, waiting to see if Hecate would continue with their game or not. The ball was in Hecate's court now. He set his phone on the bench and stood up, pulling his coat and backpack out of the open locker. He shrugged his coat on, a welcome layer of dry warmth between him and the cloying moisture of the lockers. He felt like it never dried out because of the showers. Constantly breathing water.

When the phone buzzed behind him on the bench, Clint prepared himself for the worst, thinking his new buddy was going to back out and leave him hanging. He set his bag on the tiled floor and sat on the bench again, unlocking his phone. The picture that popped up made his eyes widen and heart thump again, a small jolt of arousal shooting through his groin.

Hecate was thin, not skinny, but by the stretch in his arm as he pulled down the neck of his shirt, Clint could tell he had a little muscle. Toned like he was a swimmer or gymnast. Maybe he did yoga, Clint had seen what yoga could do to a body. Hecate's shoulder and collarbone was exposed by the pull of the shirt, and his neck was bared with wavy black locks curling around it, skin tight and pale. Clint's eyebrows raised up and he blew out a heavy breath in appreciation. He started typing back quickly. _Damn, you tease. Not sexy my ass- I could bite that neck._

 _Was it too much for the first one? I didn't know what to do._

Clint chuckled to himself and replied, saying goodnight to his buddies as they filed out of the lockers. _No, jesus that was… whoo! Perfect for a first timer._

He opened the picture again and whispered at the show of skin. "Damn." And he chuckled at himself for being so affected by it. He didn't think it had been that long since someone's body piqued his interest, didn't think a picture of a simple neck and shoulder would turn him on so quickly. His brain didn't realize the shadow that came over his phone, someone hovering over his shoulder.

"Damn, Barton, you gonna score a sexy bitch tonight or what?"

Clint's heart leapt into his throat and he jumped, flattening the phone to his chest, and scooting down the bench an inch to get away from his onlooker. "Whoa! Dude back up, you can't see this shit."

The invader scoffed and turned to his locker, taking his towel off and standing naked while he grabbed his underwear. "Please, there weren't even tits in that picture."

"I don't care- I'm protecting the integrity of my sexting buddy, man. Don't fucking look over my shoulder like that!"

"Pfft! Sexting buddy?"

"Yes." Clint got up and grabbed his bag before leaving the locker room, saying nothing in goodbye to the guy. He pulled up his phone again and smiled as he saw another text.

 _It wasn't that great, you don't have to say that._

 _Hecate, that's more skin than I've seen in a while lol Not including naked dudes I see in the showers. Feel better? It's fun right?_

 _Yes, I liked it._

Clint smiled and replied again and then put his phone away in his pocket as he walked across campus to his dorm. _Then I'll see you next time :) night._


	3. Let's Watch

Down in the kitchen, Loki grabbed the coffee pot and poured the liquid into his mug, headphones down over his ears as he gently swayed to the music. He did his best to keep it light, not wanting to break out into dance in front of anyone should they walk into the kitchen, but a little hip and chest sway never hurt anyone. When he turned around to go into the fridge for the creamer, he jumped at the sight of Clint behind him, eyebrows up and smirking. He pulled his headphones down and hushed a hard exhale to calm his heart.

"You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry, I just came to watch the show," he said and laughed.

Loki moved past him to the fridge and collected his creamer, filling his mug and going for the sugar too as Clint came up beside him at the counter.

"Loki, right? I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry. I was actually looking for you- you know a guy called Steve Rogers?"

Loki's eyes tightened at the name and he huffed unhappily. He lifted his mug to his lips and gave it a testing sip before answering. "What does he want? Another 'modeling' session?"

"Uh, no. He wanted me to tell you he's sorry? Something about not meaning to hurt you, blah blah blah. I take it he's an ex?"

"Yes. He's trying to get me to forgive him for cheating on me so he can have me back to pose for him. He just wants my body." Loki shook his head, trying to forget about it and pulled his notebook over to him, stopping the pen from rolling off the counter. "How did he know to come to you?"

Clint shrugged. "Ehh, I think because I'm roomies with Tony and Tony's friends with you, so… I think he just figured it out."

Loki hummed and turned away, starting out of the kitchen. He was just about to pull his headphones back up when he heard the clod of Clint's boots scamper up behind him. He wanted to stop and question him, following like a lost puppy, but he refrained.

"So what are you doing? Gonna study?"

"I'm going to the roof to get some mapping done."

"Mapping?"

"Star mapping."

"Really? I thought you were, like… Doing Tony and Bruce's stuff- physics and science-y stuff. Smart-type stuff."

Loki scoffed and climbed the stairs up the dormitory building, Clint following closely behind him. "I do, but I'm an astronomy major. Only a couple of our classes coincide."

Clint hummed, intrigued. "That's so weird. Are you okay that I come with you? I'm bored as fuck."

"Well you won't find it much entertaining with me either, but do as you will."

As they reached the rooftop and opened the door to the night air, Clint breathed in the scent and smiled. "I like how easy you are."

"Believe me," Tony cut in from across the roof. "Loki ain't easy."

"Settle down, Stark."

Tony and Bruce were already on the roof, gathered around a hulking telescope and wrapping their coats around their middles to keep the cool breeze off them. It wasn't terribly cold, but the roof weather was different from the ground, a little more windy. Loki trailed Clint behind him as he came up to the pair, opening up his notebook to a half-filled page. Clint stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and stared up at the sky with its blanket of stars clear and bright.

"What are you doing up here, anyways? You're not star-boys."

Tony pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up, offering one to Clint who took it gratefully. "Yeah but we're science bros. Gotta stick together."

Clint laughed and took a drag off his smoke. "Science Bros, huh?"

"That's what he calls us," Loki muttered, taking his eye away from the telescope lens and jotting down a note. He stepped away and looked straight up into the sky, watching with a careful eye before looking back down at his notebook. He did it a few more times before making marks, and Bruce and Tony sat nearby, one with a tablet in hand and swiping through pages, the other leaning against the roof ledge and staring up, smoking.

Clint sat too, beside Tony, and puffed at his cigarette as he watched Loki work. He stared, but wasn't obvious, though Loki knew he was looking. He made eye contact with him a couple times but made no comment. It was just looking. When his cigarette was finished, he flicked it away over the edge of the roof and stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets again.

"Well, I'm out," he announced as he walked away from the group.

Loki didn't watch him leave, still writing in his notebook. "I told you you would be just as bored."

"Eh, it wasn't that bad- the fresh air is nice and the stars are definitely pretty, but I'm more of a bird-watcher. Bye guys."

They all said goodbye and Clint shut the roof access door behind him, leaving the three in the silence of the night.

Tony hummed. "Like him?"

He got no answer for a moment and called Loki's name to pull him out of his work.

"What?"

"Do you like him?"

Loki furrowed his brows in confusion at Tony. "Clint? Why would you ask me that? We've only just met; this is literally the first time I've spoken to him since I slept over."

"Really? That was, what, a week ago?"

Bruce quietly chided Tony, making Loki glance between them with growing suspicion.

"Are you trying to set me up with him?"

"If you like him- yes," Tony agreed, following up with a quick- "But if you don't like him then no." He chuckled and when he saw Loki's slow growing anger he tried to sooth with friend-words. "I just want to see you get some action again, I don't care if it's a one night stand! Steve fucked you up. You haven't been with anyone since."

Loki dropped his arms, letting a loose paper fall out of his notebook as he looked on Tony with offense. "So I have to be fucked to be normal for you?"

"No, Tony doesn't know how to use his words," Bruce said gently, getting up from the ground. "He means that you were really happy with Steve, and he wants you to be happy again. He's got point though- even if you're not in a steady relationship, sex is a mood booster. Everybody likes companionship."

Loki rubbed his temples with one hand, pen weaved between his fingers. He wanted to say something snarky and rude, but he didn't like to treat Bruce like that. He was too sweet and didn't deserve it. He sighed heavily and bent down to collect his fallen paper, stuffing it back in the notebook and putting his pen in the metal spiral.

"Thank you for caring about my- my sexual health, but I'm perfectly fine with where I am. I think I'm finished for the night." Loki started back to the door and said goodnight to his colleagues, leaving Bruce to shake his head at Tony and his stupid mouth.

As he trampled down the stairs to his floor, his phone buzzed in his pocket, and Loki went for it angrily, expecting Tony to be texting him a weak apology. He was pleased to see Cupid's name on the screen instead and unlocked the phone to read his message.

 _What are you wearing?_

Loki grinned and hustled to his dorm, flinging the door open and shut and happier to find Thor not yet back from the gym. He tossed his notebook onto the desk and slipped off his coat and headphones, throwing them over the corner of the bed as he kicked off his shoes and got comfy on the mattress. He smiled and his heart thrummed, a shoot of arousal growing in his groin. He held his phone up and tapped away on the screen. _I wish I was wearing nothing, but I just got back in my room. Do you want the sexy version or the regular version?_

 _Lol Alright- regular. Wow me._

Loki hummed low in his throat, happy for this exchange to take his mind off school, off his classmates. Cupid knew how to excite him, using the week to learn Loki's body without touching it himself. They were using each other, Loki had no doubt, what with the rules about not seeing each other's faces or knowing any facts about their lives, but it felt good. It was stress relief, and Bruce and Tony's words came back to him about his sex life. They didn't know about Cupid, couldn't know that they got off to each other's typed words and pictures. Loki couldn't count how many times he'd masturbated to Cupid's increasingly scandalous pictures, but that's what they were doing it for, weren't they?

Loki took a deep breath and settled in the middle of the bed, typing gently. There was no rush yet. _Dark green long-sleeve, with the bottom pulled up over my stomach. I'm still a little cold- I just got back, but the goosebumps feel good under the sleeves. I opened my jeans, trying to relax, but I'm already getting hard._

It was true, Loki's length was already swelling in his briefs at the thought of what they might say to each other that night, because it was always good, and Loki took another shaky breath as he slipped his hand between his jeans and shorts to squeeze himself. He watched the ellipsis of Cupid's reply come up and blink for a few moments, continuing to rub himself gently until the message came.

 _Fuck, that was the regular? Goddamn. That belly… I want to run my tongue over it, tongue-fuck your bellybutton. Shit… I'm fucking hard too. How are you doing this to me?_

Loki groaned and squeezed himself hard, imagining a slick tongue just dipping into his navel and flicking the edge. He shimmied his jeans down to his thighs, leaving his briefs where they were and feeling the outline of his cock trapped in them. _Do you want to see me?_ He typed shakily, already getting lost in their game. The reply was fast.

 _Fuck yes. Show me._

Loki took the picture, checking it like always before sending it off to make sure they stuck to the rules. There was nothing but the top of his naked belly down to his grey briefs, fingers tucked just inside them and they were tight enough around his length to explicitly show how hard he was.

 _Jesus. How are you so fucking big?_

Loki's hand flew to his mouth, embarrassed and blushing, horny and pleased with the compliment. He didn't even get to reply, Cupid sending another message and then a picture, making Loki's heart stutter and cock twitch.

 _I'm not gonna last that long if you keep showing me how sexy you are. Please tell me you're touching yourself._

In the photo, Loki was looking down Cupid's front, over his tanned, naked abs and down to his open jeans, dark purple shorts pulled down at the elastic just a tad to reveal the tip of his cock resting against him, full and glistening.

It was the first time he'd seen any of Cupid's package in the buff, and just this little bit drove Loki crazy, arousal sparking through his groin and down his thighs as he pushed his shorts under his cock and took it firmly in hand, giving himself one slow, hard pull as he tapped on the screen. _I am, I'm jerking off to your cock. I can't believe how hot you make me._

Loki stroked himself harder, eyes closed and imagining the body he got to see in glimpses, wishing he would feel Cupid's heat against him, grinding his cock against him and moaning, huffing heavy breaths into his shoulder. He almost couldn't pull himself away from his fantasy when he felt the quick buzz of another text in his hand, peeling his eyes open and starting to pant gently.

 _Fuck darlin, I gotta see it. Show me your big dick. Please pleaseplease_

* * *

Clint hunched over the desk and rested his head on his arm, fisting his cock rapidly as he prepared himself for another picture of his hot mess of a sexting buddy. The buzz on the wood made him lift his head to look, and he moaned aloud, hand suddenly flying faster over himself at the sight of Hecate's long hard cock held up in hand, the tip ready to drip on his belly. The hand on the desk scratched at the wood, trying to hold himself off as he typed in return, determined not to spill before he'd gotten more out of him. It was hard when he was staring at the picture, panting enough to pass out.

 _Shit you're so big. Jesus that fucking cock! Show me when you come, I gotta see it, all that cum on your belly. Fuck, show me._

He slowed down his strokes, trying to calm his drumming heart, and kept a hard draw on his cock, twisting at the tip and thumbing the slit. He wanted so bad to rub their cocks together, sitting above Hecate and grinding until he came. Clint's hips bucked in his chair at the visual, pushing him a little closer to completion. He could almost feel Hecate's slick length against his, those long fingers helping him rub it out, tips sliding together. One more vibration of a message and Clint sighed, pulling his phone closer on the desk greedily like a man starved. Heart pounding when it notified him of a video, Clint couldn't open it fast enough, holding the volume button to crank it up.

Hovering above, the video showed Hecate's cock being madly stroked, squeezing and pulling hard to stretch the skin, pulling over the head just to yank it back down again, spreading the fluid at the tip. Clint could hear Hecate for the first time and it drove him insane, pumping himself at the sound of him hissing quietly, watching his balls pull back and hearing his breath catch just to release a harsh groan as he jerked hard and shot his cum up his stomach, little pools collecting in the dips of his skin and muscle. Clint ground his teeth and tried to hold back his own moans, overwhelmed by the sight and sound of Hecate's orgasm so much that he spilled over his own hand, body shaking and tensed as he tried to not hump the air, keeping himself in his seat as he came down from his high. He panted and let his head fall on his arm again, catching his breath before he grabbed his phone and aimed down, sending Hecate a picture of his hand wrapped around his cock, cum spilled over his fingers.

 _You are disgustingly hot,_ Hecate wrote back. _I can't believe I sent you that. Was it too much? Does it violate the rules?_

Clint scoffed and leaned back in his chair replying that it was definitely not too much, cursing and swiping his clean hand back over his hair.

"Can't lock the door if you're gonna jerk it?"

Clint jumped and yelled, leaning over himself again to protect himself from Tony's roving eyes. He grabbed the phone and pulled it against himself hurriedly. "Jesus, Tony!"

"Hey," Tony shrugged and smirked as he set his bag on the floor against his bed. "Not my fault- it's my room too, I don't have to knock."

Clint flicked a tissue out of the box on the desk and wiped off his fingers, phone face down on the desk. Tony neared and tried to look at the screen, disappointed to find it down.

"So who's your little sexy friend? Sounds pretty hot."

"Would you back up!" Clint nearly shouted, stuffing the phone in his pocket as he got up and buttoned his jeans. "You've been in here that long?! Why didn't you s-"

"I'm not gonna interrupt a great jerking session; I'm assuming you would do the same for me. Who is it?"

Clint washed his hands in the bathroom and sighed at his roommate, who still grinned and stood in the middle of the room, unbearably proud of himself. "It's none of your business, man. I told him it'd stay between us." He sat back down at his desk and pulled over one of his textbooks and notebook, flipping them open and scrounging through the drawers for a pencil.

Tony flopped back on his bed. "That's no fun- I'm your roomie, you can trust me."

"It's because it's you that I can't trust you, not with this."

"Are you saying I'm dishonest and backstabbing? I might be, but it depends on the situation. Alright, alright, let me guess."

Clint groaned and let his pencil fall out of his fingers for a second before trying to get back to work. "Tony..."

"It's... shit, I don't know his name. The gangly guy from your archery club. Kemper? Kyle?"

"Killian, and no. Please shut up."

"Nah you're right, that voice doesn't match. Sounds familiar though. Can I see the video?"

"What- No!"

"It's Loki, isn't it? Because he slept in your bed, now you're fucking. You got a thing for the skinny ones."

Clint sighed in exasperation and fell back in his chair, letting his arms hang limply. "Oh my god, Tony, it's not Loki. Stop guessing- I don't know who he is!"

Tony was silent for a second, sitting up on his elbows on the bed and staring at the back of Clint's head in astonishment. "You don't know the name or...?"

"We're just sexting. He sends me his dirty pictures, I send him mine and we both get off. That's it. I don't know his name; I don't know what his face looks like."

"Well what's he maj-"

"And I don't know what classes he takes," Clint said, beating Tony to it. "We made rules, man. It's just sex."

Tony scoffed, confused and finding the whole situation funny. "Then how'd you meet this guy? You find his number on the stall in the bathroom or what?"

"That's nasty. No. He just... texted me one day. Said he found my number in his phone and it wasn't my real name, and we started doing- this." Behind him, Tony started chuckling slowly in realization, turning into actual loud laughs in a few moments, and Clint had to turn in his chair and stare at him like he had lost his mind. "What the fuck is your problem?"

Tony tried to reel in his laughter, moving to sit on the edge of his bed and holding his head in his hands as he rolled. "I just- HA! Oh my god- I know who it is! Is it- Ha-ha-ha!"

Clint stared at him with a growing look of disgust, waiting for him to get a hold of himself.

"Is it- Oh Jesus! Does he call you Cupid?"

Clint's expression dropped, stunned. "What the fu- How do you know that?!" He had to shout over Tony's raucous laughter, getting up from the desk but moving nowhere. "How the fuck do you know that, Tony!"

Tony stood up too, going over to Clint and grabbing him by the shoulders and grinning. "I put your number in his phone! This is too good! You're sexting with- Ha! Wha- what do you call him?"

Clint was stunned and angry, but he controlled it so he could beat Tony's face in later. It had been a setup, he realized. Tony had been trying to set him and Hecate up.

"Hecate," he gave up and Tony sputtered and chuckled.

"Perfect! I did not expect this- I thought you were going to start dating, not be digitally fucking each other. Do you wanna know who he is?"

"No!" Clint shook Tony's hands off him and backed away, placing a protective hand over the phone in his coat pocket. "I'm happy with his fake name; I don't wanna know. I like us how we are."

"Sending dirty pictures when you could be nailing him for real?" He let Clint go back to the desk and sit heavily. He stared at the back of Clint's head and scoffed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "What the hell is with you two? This is why I tried to set you up together- neither of you have had sex in months!"

Clint twisted in the seat to glare at Tony, throwing his arm over the back of the chair, pencil ready in his other hand. "So that makes us an automatic match? I don't know a fucking thing about Hecate, man- we agreed to not talk about that shit. He could be a fucking-" Clint rolled his wrist as he searched for the words. "-He could be a drama geek that likes to go to Renaissance fairs, or a fucking smarty-pants science-y guy like you: hardcore math and physics and space shit; looking for black holes and talking about warp speed or something!"

Tony rolled his eyes at Clint and waved a dismissive hand at him as he went back to sit on his bed. "What's wrong with science and space and technology and us 'smarty-pants' guys?"

"We don't have anything in common. I'm not as smart as you guys- I can't keep up with that shit."

"You're ridiculous," Tony grumbled, pulling his tablet out of his bag and poking through it. "Don't have to be smart to like someone. Look at me and Pep- not saying she's not smart, because she is, but she's doing an entirely different major and we were still together. We have other things in common. Don't have to match in jobs too."

"You guys broke up," Clint said, calming down to look through his textbook and find the right page.

"Yeah, well you know I can't keep it in my pants, but I still..." Tony sighed sadly behind him and Clint's eyes moved in his direction, but he didn't turn. "I still loved her."

Clint knew that Tony had a lot of heartache when it came to his ex-girlfriend, Pepper, a long and sometimes rocky relationship that ended with Tony's inability to be faithful. He loved her, but had a hard time committing, blindly following his dick wherever it led him. Clint was glad he didn't have that problem. He liked to fuck, that was for sure, and would do it with random hookups, but once in a relationship, they were all he had eyes for. Lately he kinda felt that way about Hecate. There was a strange attachment for someone he only masturbated to, having never touched him for real. All he thought about for most of the day was coming back to his room and getting off with him.

He was trying to get back out there, trying to put his feelers out for someone to snag and take him home like a lost kid, but he didn't really know how to go about it. He tended to just- tag along with his interest and listen to them talk, but he had a feeling it creeped people out. He showed up out of the blue and asked to chill with them, even for a few minutes.

As he thought about it while he copied down a few notes, Clint realized he'd just done that with Loki. Granted, he was delivering a message from one ex-boyfriend to another, but he didn't have to follow him up to the roof. Loki had seemed aloof but didn't tell him not to follow. He was probably weirded out, Clint thought.

He would have to change his tactics, but again, he didn't know where to start with that. It was so much easier with Hecate- a lot of sex without having to know them. He wondered if Hecate felt the same.


	4. Let's Play

Clint hummed lowly, lying on his bed and rolling his palm over the front of his jeans, getting hard as he read Hecate's texts. Tony was in the far corner of the room, tools out and messing with the wires in the wall- he wouldn't care if Clint masturbated with him in the same room- he could hear Clint's hums of approval and chuckled at him.

"Having fun over there?" He asked, gathering a wire attached to his computer and stripping the ends.

Clint took a deep calming breath but still rubbed himself, squeezing the bulge in his jeans playfully and he moaned behind his lips. "I think Hecate's gonna go down on me."

Tony snorted, shaking his head and taking the ends of the wires in the wall, twining them with his computer's. "Well, he does have a big mouth."

"Shut up, Tony, I don't wanna know who it is."

"How can you imagine someone blowing you if you don't know what they look like? Is it just a bald, white head with no features? I feel like I've seen something like that online." Wires connected and wrapped with tape, Tony turned to his laptop on the floor, opening a program and beginning to type.

"He's got black hair. Long black hair, and he's pale. S'all I gotta know, so shut up- you're turning me off."

"Does he know what hair color you've got?"

Clint sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, popping open the button of his jeans and slipping his hand inside to knead his swollen flesh. "No."

"So he's doing the bald-head thing." Tony chuckled and continued tapping away on his keys.

Clint replied to Hecate's message and got another in turn, the content making him moan again and close his eyes. He wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock and squeezed as he tugged at the skin. "Fuck, this guy," he groaned.

Tony snickered as he typed on his laptop. It beeped at him and he squinted into the screen, hitting one key slowly over and over in confusion. "What in the-" he went at it again, fingers flying over the keys until it beeped at him again. "Whoops."

And a shrill alarm screamed in the hallway, jolting Clint out of his fantasy.

"Ah, shit," Tony griped and stood up, yanking the wires out of the wall and disconnecting his laptop.

"What the fuck is that?" Clint sat up, hand still in his pants and mid-sentence in reply to Hecate's dirty message. There had been no pictures yet that day, practicing Hecate's linguistic talents instead.

There was a harried knock at their door, the sound of people hustling together, and Tony called out to them. "Yeah, we're coming. Let's go- I tripped the fire alarm."

"Are you fucking serious? I'm in the middle of- Goddamn it." Clint got up and shoved his phone in his pocket, buttoning his jeans and grabbing his coat when Tony threw it to him. They headed out the door once they got their shoes on and merged in with their dormitory mates, everyone in varying states of undress, tired or yelling happily. They filed outside through the exits and stood around in the grasses surrounding the building. Until the fire trucks and faculty showed up to clear the building and cut the alarms, they would all have to wait in the cold, holding their coats around them and frolicking with their pals. It had gotten cold fast that autumn, and it cooled Clint enough to lose his hard-on. He wasn't happy about that.

He pulled out his phone and erased his half-finished come-on to Hecate, retyping and shivering against the breeze. _The fucking fire alarms went off, we're all standing outside in the cold like morons. My boner's dead darlin', sorry._

* * *

Loki stood on the sidewalk on the other side of the building in his scarf and coat, staring down at his phone with stunned realization. Thor shivered beside him, rubbing his bare arms and laughing about shrinking balls with his friends as they neared. Loki scanned the area, watching his peers mill around the lawn, some looking into their phones, some not, and he felt a twinge of excitement and fear. Did he want to know who Cupid was?

He contemplated for a moment what he would say and then typed to him. _...We live in the same dormitory building._

 _Oh... shit. Don't look around!_

Loki couldn't help himself for a moment after that, inconspicuously glancing at the faces near him and going back to his phone to see another message.

 _Fuck. Well this could get awkward. You're not naked like some of the people I'm seeing, are you? Don't answer that. I want you naked, just not out here lol_

And then he got a message from Tony: _Dude, come to the bench side of the building! Clint and I are standing here like friendless idiots._

Loki tucked his phone away in his coat and told Thor he was going to meet Tony, leaving him with his own friends. As he walked around the building, students everywhere mingling as the wail of fire trucks sailed up the road, Loki tried to tell himself to stop searching. He looked into every male face, hoping and not hoping that he would suddenly know Cupid the second he saw him. While he still searched as he went for Tony, he ran into a nude girl, tripping against her and grabbing a handful of boob. She laughed as he apologized and scuttled away, finding two more naked guys standing nearby, and his heart thudded as he remembered Cupid's text about naked people he could see. He was nearby.

"Loki!"

Loki jumped and turned around, seeing Tony waving to him and standing next to Clint, and he hustled over.

"I saw you grab that chick's tits, haha!"

Loki grumbled and shoved his hands in his coat pockets, feeling a vibration from his phone. "I wasn't trying to, they were just in my face. Who pulled the alarm?"

"Oh, it was me," Tony admitted easily as Loki pulled his phone out and read the message. From Cupid. "I was trying to get my-"

Loki wasn't listening after that, concentrating on his screen with a softening expression.

 _Alright, this is gonna sound stupid, but I think the blood in my dick just hasn't come back up to my head so... I wish we could cuddle. I'm fucking cold._

Loki smiled at the message, feeling sickly sweet inside at the sentiment Cupid shared with him. He wished they could cuddle too, he wanted that body more and more, real and warm against him. When he thought about the reality of it though, he didn't know who Cupid actually was. He didn't know if they would even get along. Sex was something easy that nearly everyone could agree on.

 _My roommate is just going on and on about how he caused the alarm, breaking into the wires and shit because he's so smart. Now we're all freezing our balls off- real smart. :( Warm me up darlin._

Loki's head jerked up to stare at Clint, who looked down at his own phone, the pale white light barely illuminating his face. Clint sniffed and put his phone and hands in his coat pockets, looking back up at Tony and listening to him rant about the electrical system in their building.

Loki kept his phone out, watching Clint carefully as he typed back to Cupid. His heart started to pound as he sent it. _What an idiot... When we get back inside, I can warm you up again with my mouth on your cock, take you in all the way. What do you think of that?_

As he watched Clint take his phone out of his coat, a smirk forming on his lips that glowed in the light, Loki's heart continued to hammer, excitement and fear rushing through him again at the thought that Clint was-

 _Shit yeah. Suck me until I come in your mouth. Oh my god, how are you doing this? I'm fucking getting hard again!_

And Clint put his phone away again, smiling at nothing. Tony was still rambling, never caring if they were listening or not, as long as they looked in his general direction and nodded. He tended to talk until he answered his own questions. Loki was nearly panting with how fast his heart beat in his chest. He pulled his stare over to Tony to make sure Clint didn't catch him. But he needed to make sure. What could he do that would make it a positive match?

He started typing again, never putting his phone away or putting it down. _Good- touch yourself. Squeeze yourself and imagine me on my knees, waiting for your cum on my tongue in the middle of everyone out here._

He waited and once again Clint retrieved his phone and read a message, and Loki's eyes widened and his jaw almost dropped as he watched Clint blow out a tense breath and reach down to squeeze his cock through his jeans. All his suspicions were confirmed- Clint was Cupid! Loki was at a loss for words, not sure what to do with the information except stand there and stare, arms hanging loose at his sides in shock. Clint was typing back, but he stopped and looked over at the building when the alarm system finally cut off. After a second, they heard Maria's voice over a megaphone, telling them the show was over and to get back in the dorm. Loki said goodbye to them and hurried away, saying he was tired and heading back to bed, but when he finally made it into his room, he sat on the edge of his bed, bewildered.

Clint was Cupid. They'd been sending dirty messages and pictures to each other for days, almost weeks, and Cupid- Clint, had been pleasuring himself to them! Loki stared at his phone, thinking about the few times that Clint and he actually talked or stood together, and he never had a clue. Sure, he thought Clint was good looking, but he didn't know the first thing about him, and Clint didn't really know him either, but here they were, sharing photos and moaning over each other's bodies. And it seemed that Clint had no idea that Loki was Hecate. How could he? Loki acted different between real life and his secret sexy friend. He could give in to any fantasy with Cupid, and he'd run with it, encouraging him. It took so long to get to that point with regular people; dating and getting to know each other…

He'd start paying attention to Clint, Loki decided. Finding out more about him, asking how he was, whatever. He could get friendly with Clint, close enough to be friends or more- he'd be able to reveal his identity. Loki smiled to himself, looking down at another message from 'Cupid'.

 _You still game?_

 _I'm already naked,_ he replied.


	5. Let's Put on our Red Shoes

Loki sat alone at his table in the cafeteria, the other tables filling up and students dragging chairs away from some tables to congregate around others. He didn't care much, letting them take all but one last chair from his table because Tony and Bruce wouldn't be out of class for another 45 minutes, so he didn't need to worry about them just yet. And he got to use the entire table for himself. His papers were spread out and lined up, all connecting like pieces of a pirate map in a movie, though his was a map of the stars, not a trail to buried treasure. He consulted a sheet from his professor listing all the stars required in the project, and ticked off the ones he'd gotten.

He felt another presence behind him and saw a hand on the last chair at his table in the corner of his eye, but he continued to work.

"Can I sit with you?" they asked cautiously and Loki automatically agreed, because when you needed ten minutes to sit and wolf down your lunch before the next class you were grateful to that lone person at the table. But he recognized that voice the second after he agreed, and he jerked up straight in his chair and leveled Steve a hateful stare. Steve looked hopeful and cautious.

Loki sighed and shook his head, bending over his work again. "I don't have time for our drama today, Steve, I'm trying to get some work done." He scribbled on one section of his star map and let Steve sit quietly, feeling his eyes on him.

"Loki, please hear me out," he pleaded gently.

"Hear you out." Loki scoffed. "You have an explanation for cheating? Or is it for getting caught?"

Steve sighed. "No, its- It was a slip up! It was a mistake, I'm sorry."

Loki actually laughed at that and set his pencil down, turning to Steve but still laughing. "A slip up? Yes, you slipped alright- you slipped and fell right onto that girl, naked and hard and she was totally okay with you fucking her because 'excuse me this is just a mistake'. Please."

Steve furrowed his neat eyebrows and it was that alone that could make him look angry. "It wasn't my fault- she gave me Ecstasy!" he declared, and the room had taken its collective breath, letting nearly everyone nearby hear what he'd said, and stare for a second before going back to their own conversations. He flushed at the revelation and Loki stared at him in disgust.

"Are you blaming drugs as the reason you cheated on me? Because that doesn't make it any better!"

"No! That's not what I-"

"Hey Loki," came a voice behind him, and he looked over his shoulder to find Clint standing there. Clint held up a pointing, questioning finger to Steve. "Sssss-Stan, right? S- something."

"Steve," he corrected and Clint nodded, though he was hardly interested.

"Steve, right, right. Well uh, you're in my seat, man."

Steve, ever trying to please, bolted out of the chair and stood aside. "Oh, sorry."

"Thanks, man." Clint laid a large, slim archery bow on the table, setting it on the very edge so as to not mess up Loki's set of papers. Loki and Steve watched him sigh happily in relief as he unbuckled a strap over his chest and swung a quiver full of arrows away from his back, leaning it against his knee on the floor. Settled and happy, arm back and hanging over the chair, Clint looked between Steve and Loki again expectantly. "I interrupt somethin'?"

"No," Loki answered quickly, turning back to his map. "We're done."

Clint smiled and looked up at Steve who still stood there, looking at the back of Loki's head dejectedly. "Bye Steve," he said politely, a cue for Steve to back away.

Steve looked confused at first, seemingly like he saw Clint for the first time, looking him up and down before turning away and leaving the cafeteria. Clint watched him go, checking him out as he went as well.

"So. That the ex? He trying to get you back?"

"He's trying poorly and futilely- we won't be getting back together."

Clint hummed and Loki continued to work, trying hard not to imagine Clint's naked body now that he knew what it looked like. There was paper rustling in Clint's zippered pants pocket as he dug around, and the crunch of chips. Loki glanced at him to see him holding a taco, Taco Bell wrapper around the end of it. He looked around suspiciously, reading the names of the eateries in the cafeteria, including scrutinizing what others had on their plates. No tacos.

"Where did you get that?"

Clint stopped mid-chew. "Taco Bell. Want one? I've got more," he mumbled around his mouthful, pointing to the pocket on the side of his thigh.

"No, I- You keep tacos in your pants?"

Clint shrugged. "Got 'em this morning, didn't have time to eat 'em until after practice. Never know when you're gonna be hungry."

Loki snorted and shook his head as he turned back to his papers, declining Clint's offer. He eyed the bow on the table and wanted to laugh- Cupid. Bows and arrows, how droll. Loki wondered exactly how Clint's number got into his phone, knowing that it couldn't have been Clint himself unless he had done it the night Loki used his bed. But then, why go through all the trouble of acting like he didn't know what Loki- Hecate had been talking about? Why continue the charade if he knew who Hecate really was? Unless someone else put the number in Loki's phone. Someone close to Clint and could get Loki's phone without him realizing. A few moments of thought, and Loki was sure he knew. But he would have to deal with him later- he had a mythical love god to cozy up to.

"I take it you're in an archery class?"

"No, it's just a club. But there's a little range and when no one else is using it you can go in."

"I see." Loki took one last glance at his papers and sighed, tossing his pencil down and gathering them up into a pile before looking back at Clint again. "What are you majoring in?"

"Criminal justice," he replied casually, taking another bite of his taco and scanning the room. "You? Star stuff, right? That why you were on the roof with Tony, using a telescope?"

"Astronomy."

"Cool." Clint's gaze was drawn back to Loki, and he scooted his chair closer to the table, pushing his bow further in and dragging his quiver so it didn't fall. He took the finishing bite of his taco. "What do you do in that? Like… make pictures in the sky like they do with the zodiac? Do you have to think of a name for every star you find- the new ones?"

Loki chortled and leaned back in his chair. "No, zodiac and personality types are astrology. Astronomers study the universe, find new things. There's a lot that goes into it. Do you know who Neil deGrasse Tyson is?"

Clint hummed pensively. "Maybe?"

"Black guy, tends to make science-ing easy to understand."

"Oh! Yeah, seen him on TV. Hm." Clint put his chin in his hand and watched Loki curiously, and Loki wasn't wary of it, but it was still strange.

"He's an astronomer. Astrophysicist technically."

Clint hummed with interest again and said he understood, but he still gave Loki that oddly serene stare. Loki joined him in the silent admiring, looking at Clint's bare arms and seeing that one vein over his bicep that he saw in their first sharing of pictures. Clint never showed his arms around campus it seemed, always wearing a hoodie or coat and not just because it was getting colder. Those arms would attract a lot of attention. They certainly drew Loki's. There was a tattoo on Clint's inner arm from elbow to wrist and it made sense for him- an arrow, solitary and intricate in thin lines and sweeping decorative circles, and the skin around it-behind it, washed with an explosion of multiple colors in the fashion of watercolor. The colors were generally purples and pinks but there was still blue and green and yellow splashing out from the design as well. Now Loki knew why he never saw the rest of Clint's arms in their pictures back and forth. Well. He'd imagine it now.

* * *

Clint watched Loki stare at his tattoo and wondered what he was thinking about it. Everyone stared at it, and they either wowed about it or said it was gay. Which was funny to Clint because of his orientation. But a lot of people didn't know about that. The staring that people did though made him slightly uncomfortable, and he rubbed his hand over the tattoo distractedly, pulling Loki's gaze away.

"Sorry. It's gorgeous."

Clint smiled and put his arm down to hide the marks. "Thanks. Do you have any?"

"No, I never-"

Tony and Bruce came up behind Loki, and Tony slapped his bag onto the table, interrupting Loki thoughtlessly.

"Hey Birdbrain," he greeted Clint with a grin. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Aren't you?" Loki challenged with one raised brow.

"Yeah we skipped it today- not like we're gonna miss anything we didn't already know. We run circles around those dumbasses."

Loki hummed while Tony went to another table and took their chairs, blowing off their complaints that they had friends sitting there with a 'snooze you lose' comeback. Bruce snorted softly at him and sat in the offered seat. He tended to let Tony do whatever he wanted.

"Well you could've gotten here sooner- Steve was accosting me and Clint had to come save me."

Tony made a face of proud surprise at Clint. "Why Birdbrain, you surely are growing up. Soon you'll graduate to Wingman! And then we'll really tear this place up. Speaking of that- you going to the Alder dorm party tonight?"

Clint shrugged. "Eh, I dunno."

"Come on, we're all gonna go. Bruce is gonna bring Mother Russia, I'm gonna go. Loki's going, right?"

Loki nodded and Tony grinned at Clint. "See? Gotta get out of the house and live a little- leave your phone at home and go wild for a night!"

Clint scoffed at him and chuckled. "I'll think about it."

* * *

The Alder dormitory building pounded with heavy music as Clint came up to the door, and upon opening it, fog billowed out and the music became clearer, though the inside wasn't so clear. Right from the door there were bodies everywhere, drinks in hand and bouncing to the music, a fog machine somewhere in the building leaving a cooling and wet atmosphere throughout the place. Clint squeezed inside and pushed through them, holding his phone out and determining where Natasha was by her text. The halls were filled with students on all floors, the kitchen stuffed with snack foods and kegs galore. The common room held the DJ, and the couches, with someone already passed out on them, were shoved aside to make more dancing room. Alcohol first, Clint decided, and went into the kitchen, snagging a jello shot off a passing tray and throwing it back before coming up to the cases of beer and taking his pick.

"Oh my god your muscles!" came a squeal behind him, and then slim fingers around his bicep all of a sudden. He turned to find a brunette with bright red lipstick smiling at him, her other hand reaching out to hold both of his arms and sliding her fingers down his skin. "I love your arms."

"Uh, thanks," Clint said uncertainly, shrugging out of her touch. He knew he should have worn a hoodie.

"I'm Darcy," she introduced, hands behind her back then and waiting interestedly for Clint to return the gesture.

"Clint. But uh, I'm not here to hang out- I'm looking for a friend. So…"

"Oh, no that's totally cool! I am too, maybe we can look together!"

Clint wanted to groan but held it in, mostly being put-off by Darcy's happy and needy attitude. "That's nice but, I think I'm gonna go it alone. Thanks though."

He popped the lid to his beer and turned around, going back out into the fray, holding the can above his head as he searched for his friends. He realized quickly that the upper floors, the rooms anyway, were reserved for sex, walking in on two orgies and backing out quickly before getting downstairs again.

He found Natasha in one of the open and bared bedrooms with Bruce at her side, talking to a few people. She saw him from across the room and smiled, tilting her head as a signal for him to come over, and he obeyed, all smiles and a hand out to hold her by the hips.

"Mmm, you look good in that dress, Nat. If only I was straight."

She wore a dress skintight, black and red- red to match her hair, and she was stunning. She knew it.

"It wouldn't matter anyway. I'm not attracted to you like that," she answered as her hand sneaked out to touch Bruce's side gently. Bruce was carrying on a conversation with someone else, slightly turned away from Clint and Natasha, but at her touch his own hand came out and settled on her lower back.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you like him."

"He's different."

Clint hummed in agreement and took a few big gulps of his beer, deciding that if he was going to waste his night at a party, he might as well be drunk.

"Are you looking for Tony?" Natasha asked loudly in Clint's ear. The music was deafening all over, speakers put in every room. "He was in the next room across the hall last time I saw him. This side of the hall is standing room only, the other is dancing."

Clint shook his head and made a face. "Who set this party up anyway?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, I'm gonna go find him," he yelled. "I'll see ya later."

Natasha nodded and waved him off, stepping close to Bruce again and listening to his conversation as Clint made his way out of the room. He emptied his beer and went to the kitchen for another, tossing the can in a pile in the corner. The trashcan had overflowed already and they just let it pile on. Everything would have to be cleaned in the morning anyway. He took his new beer and cracked the lid, drinking as he went in search of Tony, rounding through the rooms. When he finds him, he's grinding against the ass of a girl in a sea of people, all jumping and gyrating to the beat. Clint squeezed through to him and Tony grinned and slapped his shoulder in greeting, keeping up his movements with the girl in front of him.

"So you decided to join the boys! We've been here for- pfft, what, like two hours already. You make it upstairs yet?"

"To the whore house? Yeah," Clint snorted. "I saw it."

Tony ran his hands down the girl's sides to her hips, letting his fingers pick up the very edge of her skirt in a teasing touch. "I'm thinking of taking this one up there in a minute."

"Jesus, Tony."

Tony grinned lopsidedly. "You haven't seen anything here that tickles your fancy? I got something for ya." And he nodded ahead of him, over the girl's shoulder to indicate Loki, swarmed by party-goers as he danced in between them all.

Clint was surprised to see Loki like that- eyes closed, hips bumping side to side and kick-stepping to the music, arms roving at his sides. Just enjoying himself and no one else. He looked good, and Clint was more intrigued by Loki with every move. He seemed so composed and stand-offish all the time, it was thrilling to see him act like any other student around him. Though there was that one time in the kitchen when he caught him swaying to his own music…

"He's so fucking drunk," Tony chuckled, sliding his arms around the girl before him and pulling her back tighter. "He needs someone to dance with- chug that thing and get over there."

Clint couldn't take his eyes away from Loki even as he automatically starting gulping his beer, watching the line of skin on Loki's belly appear and disappear under his shirt as his abdomen waved in the movements. He crushed the can in hand and set it on top of the speaker behind him with other half-empty drinks as he made his way into the bodies for Loki. He was already feeling the thrum of the alcohol in his system, skin feeling loose and mind getting absorbed in the pumping music that vibrated his body, urging him to start swaying into it. As he came up to him, he swiped his fingers up the underside of Loki's arm and the deliberate touch opened Loki's eyes to him, heavy and glassy. Loki smirked at him and continued to dance, adjusting his moves to allow Clint into his space.

"Why, Archer, you found me," he purred, and Clint smiled. "I've been waitin' for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm… Yep."

Loki sidled closer to Clint, directing his body to dance with his, and Clint was surprised that Loki actually knew how to dance. But there was no time to be marveling about it with Loki's hand slipping onto his chest, hips gently bumping his. The alcohol buzzing through him erased most of the concerns he had about this strange, drunk and sensual Loki, finally giving in to the beat.

Loki's eyes didn't close completely, just a sliver of pale green visible under his eyelashes flashing in rainbows with the lights roving the room. His lips were parted and he breathed heavily as he swayed, and Clint couldn't keep his eyes off them. Loki was enjoying himself, Clint could tell- moving as the beat told him to, not a tense muscle in his body, not trying to impress anyone.

When Loki was pulled away by a hand at his arm, swept around to face another, Clint was irked to find Steve taking Loki aside, an imploring expression on his face. Clint watched Steve's mouth move, not hearing him through the pounding sounds, and his eyes tightened as Loki tried to pull his arm out of Steve's grip just to be caught at the hand. Loki shook his head at whatever Steve had said and Steve started to look angry, making a glance at Clint. Clint took it as his cue to step in, coming up behind Loki and holding his hip to start him moving back against him, sliding his hand up Loki's arm to take his hand away from Steve. Loki turned his head to Clint and smirked, immediately getting back into the groove and pushing back into his hips. Clint rested his chin on Loki's shoulder and let Loki reach back to run his fingers through his hair, giving Steve a smug look that said 'this is mine now'. Steve looked defeated, pleading.

"Loki," he shouted over the beats. "This isn't you. What are you doing?"

Loki belted a laugh but didn't stop moving against Clint. "And taking drugs and fucking people other than me- that's you?" He snickered and shook his head, lifting his arms to wave his body seductively against Clint. "You don't know me, Steve. And I don't know you! Now, could you kindly fuck off- I'm trying to get laid."

Clint sputtered and chuckled against the back of Loki's shoulder, getting a jolt of pleasure to his crotch at the words. Steve nearly recoiled, looking at Loki like he'd never seen him before, and didn't like what he saw. Clint guessed that Loki never talked to him like that. But his thoughts about Steve and Loki's old relationship flew away as Steve walked away in a huff, shoving through the throngs of people and leaving the two to grind together.

Alone finally, alone enough in the crowd, Loki took Clint's hand and slid it up his stomach, catching the hem of his shirt for a moment to feel his skin before rubbing over his chest. Clint took it as the go ahead to touch freely, both hands getting into the game to rove over Loki's body, sliding down the sides of his hips and scratching on the way back up. Loki had to know Clint was getting hard, had to feel it growing against him as they rubbed together, but Clint couldn't help himself; buzzed and letting the music take him away, accepting the body grinding over him.

He gripped Loki's hips and turned him around, continuing their dance front to front, hips and groins bumping and sliding as the music got deeper, looking up into Loki's face so close. Loki's arms settled out over his shoulders, drawing them into each other intimately as though no one could see them, and Clint's fingers scraped down his ribs and sides, down and around to hold him at the small of his back. They were nearly sweating, holding themselves back from devouring the other right there in front of everyone, panting lightly and grinding together as they drew closer and closer. Clint could feel Loki's breath puff over his lips, watching his heavy-lidded eyes give in and shut as he closed the space and kissed him. Clint's heart jolted at the touch, inhaling sharply and grabbing the back of his head to hold him there as they moved their mouths together, bodies starting to lose their rhythm as the passions drove them to grind their arousals thoughtlessly. Loki pulled away panting, sliding his fingers through Clint's hair to his neck.

"Take me upstairs," he murmured, so close that Clint could actually hear it. He brushed their lips together teasingly, though he didn't smile as he did it, lost in alcohol and lust. Clint watched Loki's eyes for only a second before crushing their mouths together for a fast and hard kiss, breaking away to take his hand and drag him through the crowd and down the hall, up the stairs to peek into every room until they found an empty one and crash through the door. The music was muffled as Clint kicked the door shut behind them, attacking Loki's mouth harshly with his own as he was shoved against the door by Loki's body. He took Loki's hips and guided him backwards to push him onto one of the beds, falling over him and grinding down as they kissed frantically. Loki was panting heavily, pushing Clint's lips away from his to press him down further, leading Clint to slide down his chest, pushing up his shirt and biting at the skin blindly as he grabbed Loki's cock through his jeans and squeezed. Loki moaned behind his teeth, panting turning into gasps that skyrocketed his heartbeat. Clint glanced up at him and then came back for another kiss, slipping a hand into his jeans to stroke him roughly. Loki's hips bucked, grinding into Clint's erection and making Loki gasp harder, suddenly hyperventilating into their kiss. Clint thought it was strange but didn't break away until Loki's lips suddenly went slack, the fingers that had scrabbling at his jeans falling away. He lifted his head and took in Loki's limp body, dishearteningly realizing Loki had passed out. Clint sighed and let himself lie on top of him just as bonelessly, lamenting that he wouldn't be having sex that night, and then wondered what he was supposed to do now. In a strange dorm, a strangers room, the sounds of sex from the other rooms all around- could they stay until the morning, and would he even want to?

Clint groaned and settled his head on Loki's chest. "Goddamn it."


	6. Let's Not Talk About It

Loki awoke with a whine, blearily blinking up at the ceiling and wishing it wasn't so bright in the room. His head throbbed with a headache but he was glad he didn't feel the urge to puke. Not yet. He groaned as he rolled over, realizing he was sleeping in his own bed at the sight of Thor across from him, hugging his pillow and drooling excessively. It was disorienting, because he remembered being at the party last... and then Loki's heart dropped. Glimpses of last night merging to form the whole story and showing him Clint's arms around him, lips on his, stumbling into a bed. But he couldn't remember the sex and he groused about it internally as he weakly sat up. Because of course he'd remember everything leading up to but not the actual sex. He was vaguely surprised he made it home.

Swinging a leg out of the bed to get up and wash his face, his foot squished into something soft and he recoiled as it made noise, groaning in pain.

"'Ey, that's my ass," came a grumble and Loki cautiously looked over the edge of the bed to see Clint lying on the floor and slowly turning over with a sigh. He saw Loki and gave him the best sleepy smile he could, rubbing his eye and sniffing. "Morning. Maybe."

Loki didn't return the greeting, confused at the sight on Clint on his floor. "What are you doing here?"

Clint groaned quietly and held his aching back as he got up, moving to sit on the edge of Loki's bed. "I knocked out after getting you back here, I could barely hold myself up," he muttered, keeping quiet for Thor sleeping soundly. Loki was still a little lost, but he liked the warm hand that slipped over his foot and squeezed once. "We didn't have sex," Clint confirmed. "You passed out before that could happen."

Loki slapped his face into his hand and rubbed shamefully. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It happens. You feel okay?"

"Ugh, I have a splitting headache," Loki sighed and rubbed his temples, pulling his foot out of Clint's grasp and setting beside him, shoulder to shoulder. He noticed Clint still had his arms bare, and he liked the warmth that radiated through his long-sleeve from him. "And I'm hungry."

"Yeah me too. Wanna get breakfast? Skip class for the day and get waffles? I know a badass waffle house."

"I like French toast."

"They got French toast too."

"Then yes."

Clint hummed happily and put his hand over Loki's, slipping their fingers together on his thigh. Loki's heart fluttered at the touch, feeling stupid and elated at the same time at the reaction his body gave. It was just skin against skin, friendly and essentially meaningless, but Loki already felt his attraction to Clint strongly and it almost took his breath away. He looked down at their entwined fingers and sighed quietly, letting Clint touch his chin and turn his head to him, eyes slipping shut as Clint kissed him gently. It was chaste and quick, just a sweet, reassuring gesture that Loki snapped off quickly and cleared his throat.

"I have morning breath."

Clint chuckled. "Me too. How about we clean up and meet in the commons in thirty? Then we'll go out."

Loki agreed quietly and Clint gave him another kiss before getting up and leaving the room, leaving Loki on the edge of his bed in last night's sweaty and beer smelling clothes. At least Clint took his shoes off for him before putting him to bed. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, Loki went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth, washed his face, cleaned up generally. He changed clothes and tossed last night's into the laundry basket he shared with Thor, rolling on clean socks and putting his shoes on. It occurred to him devastatingly that if he and Clint were going to start dating, they were supposed to exchange phone numbers. And they already had each others numbers.

As Loki looked at his phone on the nightstand, he wondered what he was supposed to do about that. He hadn't wanted to tell Clint about their alter egos yet, enjoying Clint's body secretly before... Before what? Springing it on him one day- 'sure baby I'll send you another picture- SURPRISE it's my face and I've been wanking it to thoughts of you this whole time!' Loki didn't think that would end well.

He jumped when his phone vibrated suddenly, and he glanced at Thor who stirred with the loud noise. He rolled over and continued to sleep. Loki sat heavily on his bed in despair as he saw the text was from Cupid. He opened it warily.

 _So I just want you to be in the know: I'm gonna start seeing someone so... we might not be able to do this much longer. I don't know how serious it's gonna get but just so i don't catch you by surprise._

Oh Clint, Loki sighed. He started typing back, picking his words carefully and making sure it would still be Hecate talking to him.

 _Lucky guy,_ he replied and then felt a little tingle of mischief in his bones as he continued. _And I was gonna let you fuck me in our next encounter. How soon will this boy being taking all your attention?_

 _Damn darlin', please don't start this. We're supposed to be meeting right now, I can't explain to him why I'm hard for breakfast._

Loki chuckled and remembered why he didn't tell Clint right away that he knew who he was, it was too fun. _Next time then. And I'll have a surprise for you. He knew he couldn't let this go on much longer though._

 _A surprise? Should I be scared or excited?_

 _Both. But I'll let you sweat a little- we'll wait a few days before I spring it on you. Go get your breakfast._ He didn't wait for a reply before tucking his phone in his pocket and heading out, coat in hand and making his way down to the commons area.

Clint was waiting for him on the couch, the place pleasantly empty with everyone either in class or still sleeping off the party, and he got up when he saw Loki come down the hall, smiling like he was happy to see him. He was hidden away in a big hoodie, looking comfortable for a morning of breakfast and taking it easy. As Loki came up to him, Clint didn't reach out for Loki's hand like he thought he might, keeping his hands in his coat pockets but smiling just the same. He leaned up to kiss him though, and Loki smirked at him as he gently returned it.

"Well look at our happy lovebirds!"

Loki and Clint turned to see Tony just walking into the dormitory in yesterdays rumpled clothes, looking sated and smug. He probably hadn't made it back to his room last night, just now leaving his conquests bedrooms to come home and sleep it off. He didn't look tired though as he came closer.

"Last night went well then," he deduced, flashing his teeth in a grin. "I just knew Cupid's arrow would pierce your little heart and fling you two together in a whirlwind of wild monkey sex."

Loki's eyes narrowed on Tony and Clint rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"Stop calling me that. And we didn't have sex."

"Are you sure? Because I saw not just a little dry humping on the dance floor and then the both of you flying away to never be seen for the rest of the night."

Loki growled silently and grabbed Tony's arm, starting to push him away. "I passed out instead- Clint, would you excuse us for a moment?" And he led Tony away to the kitchen as Clint awkwardly agreed and let them go.

Loki shoved him into the kitchen cabinets far away from the door and the commons, keeping his voice at a low hiss. "I knew it was you, you sick asshole! Why couldn't you just introduce us like normal people!? You had to sneak his number into my phone instead and let us act like idiots while you watch it all unfold!"

Tony leaned back on the counter, suddenly laughing and almost unable to hold himself up. Loki smacked him on the chest with the back of his hand angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"How long have you known? How long have you known you were talking to Clint?" Tony gasped as he tried to tame his laughter.

"Since you set off the fire alarms. How could you do-"

"Did you tell him? Does he know you're Hecate?"

The name threw Loki off, stopping short his tirade about boundaries and privacy with a blinking stare. "How do you know that name?"

"He told me. I have to live with the guy, so I get to know why he's constantly carrying around a hard-on and staring at his phone. So he doesn't know you're Hecate; that's perfect!"

Loki shook his head in confusion, stammering. "What? Why?"

"Because you could totally fuck with him!"

"No, I'm not doing that. He's told Hecate that he's starting to date someone- that someone being me- and we won't be able to continue for long."

"Alright," Tony relented, hands up to back Loki off him. "Then make one last big hurrah- get him totally into it and then BAM! Send him a full picture; dick, face, everything. He'll either come in his pants or freak right the fuck out! Oh my god I love it. I want him to fucking shower the room with jizz okay? It'll be hilarious."

Loki sighed and wished he and Tony didn't think so quite alike, because he was planning something similar as their last encounter, but now that Tony knew about them, he was sure it was going to get messed up. Tony wasn't good at keeping juicy secrets.

"I'm not going to tell you my plan unless I need you for it, because you're going to spoil it like you do everything else, but I do need something from you."

"What? Whatever you want, I'm game."

"I need your Hoe-Phone."

Tony gasped, scandalized, and his hand slapped over his jeans pocket where the phone supposedly was. He kept two cellphones. One that served as his regular phone, friends and family and others in it's contacts, and then another, the Hoe-Phone, who's number he gave to his one-night stands and booty calls. It was a throw-away phone that he didn't really care about, only having it as a decoy for the ladies that wanted to get a hold of him so that they were reassured the phone number was real, and he didn't always bring it with him everywhere.

Loki tried to calm him and explained slowly. "Clint is going to ask for my phone number and I won't be able to give him mine without him realizing mine and Hecate's are the same, therefor ruining the surprise. I need your second phone until this is done with."

Tony grudgingly agreed, grumbling and digging in his pocket for the phone before handing it over. "You're lucky it's for fucking with Clint, otherwise you wouldn't get it."

"I know, and thank you." Loki stowed the phone away and turned on his heel, sweeping out of the kitchen to Clint and telling him he was ready.

* * *

Clint tried to be proper about eating his waffles, cutting them nicely and not shoveling them into his mouth, syrup dripping off his lip, but he was finding it difficult. Waffles were his weakness. He watched Loki neatly slice triangular pieces of his French toast one at a time, sliding it through the powdered sugar topped syrup before eating it without spilling a drop, and Clint wondered how well they were really going to get along. Maybe Loki would think he was a slovenly caveman and reject him. But as he continued to chew his waffle mouthful, Loki didn't seem to care and gave no strange looks or stares.

"More coffee guys?" asked the waitress as she appeared with the metal carafe in hand.

"Mm! Please," Clint mumbled around his food, and Loki agreed as she started to fill their mugs again. "Thanks, darlin'."

Loki smirked at the term of endearment and forked another piece into his mouth. Clint noticed as he shook his sugar packets and ripped off the tops, pouring the contents into his coffee.

"What?"

"Where are you from?"

"Iowa. Are you asking because I said 'darlin'?"

Loki smiled. "Yes."

"Yeah, I can't get rid of it," Clint lamented as he poured cream into his coffee as well. "I learned not to say pop though. Everyone says coke here. Or soda sometimes. You people are weird. Are you from around here?"

"I am, but my parents emigrated from Norway."

"Damn. That's cool."

"Mm, I suppose," Loki mused and shrugged. "Why did you come here? Just for school?"

Clint dug into his waffles again, spearing a blueberry on the spine of his fork distractedly. "No, I live here too. Well, nearby you know, or else I wouldn't have a dorm. But I uh," Clint cleared his throat and pushed on, taking another bite to hold off for one more second. He didn't want to talk about this. "My Mom and I moved out here when I was a teenager."

He felt better after that, apparently he could keep it simple after all. No need to get in to details. Loki didn't prod for more, seeming content with the information given, and Clint was glad. But it was still time to move the conversation away from himself.

"So I met your brother, he helped me bring you back to your room. Is he really your brother though? Dude's huge. I mean, so are you, but he's big… chest-ways."

Loki rolled his eyes, and Clint hoped it wasn't directed at him. "He is. He's just a monstrous beast of a human specimen. More cave than modern man. And his girlfriend is a shy, girly, lovesick ditz."

Clint chuckled and drank his coffee. "Yeah, you guys look like opposites."

"We are. It's almost hellish to live in the same room with him like we're kids all over again. Thankfully he's not in often. But when he is, half the time it's because he's screwing his stupid girlfriend."

"You don't like her I take it?"

Loki sighed and slumped in his chair, picking at his French toast. "I have a lot of classes with her- she's doing the astrophysics bit, and she's friendly enough, nice enough, but she's so… Ugh, I can't put my finger on it. And that's not the only reason. It's a stupid one, because it's not her fault, but her friend is the one that Steve cheated on me with. So whenever Jane and I have to do something together- share notes or work on projects- Darcy shows up with her spunky whore attitude and I despise her."

Clint slurped his coffee at Loki's harsh words, but he could understand. The girl your boyfriend was banging hanging around you and reminding you of it all the time? That sucks. And somehow the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember from where. Didn't matter.

"Well, fuck that bitch," he said and Loki hummed in agreement, starting to smile again. "Alright, let's get this 'getting to know each other' shit started. You already know I do archery. What about you- what do you do for fun?"

Loki huffed and shook his head, pursing his lips almost sadly. "Nothing, really. I don't do anything like you- I'm not very physical. I read a lot."

"That's something. What are the last three books you've read?"

"Actually the last three were a series," Loki scoffed. "The Mars Trilogy? Red, Green, and Blue Mars."

"Space stuff, of course. I should've guessed. Is there a section for that in the bookstore or… Oh, I guess Science Fiction."

"Yes. I like fantasy too. High fantasy."

"I dunno what that is."

Loki explained as Clint took a bite of a sausage on the small plate beside him, watching with interest. He could see Loki's face loosen as he became more comfortable as time went on, being able to talk about things he liked. He smiled without really smiling, if that was possible, and probably didn't realize he did it.

"I always wanted to be able to use magic," he said finally.

"Really? Like if you could have super powers, or you were a super hero, you'd have magic?"

"Magic can be versatile: I could do a lot with it. What would you choose?"

Clint hummed as he considered it, taking another bite of the sausage and pushing the plate between him and Loki in offering. Loki took a crispy piece of bacon and crunched on it. It wasn't too hard of a question, most kids asked each other this and knew pretty fast what they wanted.

"I guess… Be invisible or be able to fly. Maybe."

"Why those?"

Clint shrugged easily, but there was a deeper reason behind the choices other than just whimsy. "Easy to get away if no one can see you or catch you."

If Loki read anything into that, he didn't comment on it. Clint sniffed and got them back on track, clearing his head of old memories he'd rather not see again. "Well, I don't read a whole lot, but I got my favorites. Count of Monte Cristo and Scarlet Letter. I like, uh… Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and To Kill a Mocking Bird. Stuff like that. My copy of Scarlet Letter is fucking falling apart," he laughed

Loki made a sound of intrigue. "Older books, dark books. I like that. People who get what's coming to them."

"Yeah," Clint agreed, happy to have found a kind of common ground with someone on his likes. Found someone who heard the titles and could possibly figure him out.

"Is that why you're in criminal justice?"

And he hit the nail on the head, Clint thought. Loki was sharp. He saw deeper meanings, inferred things and connected the dots. It was almost scary.

"Yeah, a little, I guess." He chuckled nervously and didn't really want to read into himself either. "I like this. I like you," he suddenly said, feeling content with Loki across from him, eating his breakfast and talking about nothing.

Loki was taken by surprise but the look only lasted a second before he smiled and agreed. "I like you too. I'm sure that was apparent by how I acted last night."

"Yeah, well booze makes us all do crazy shit. I liked it though. We'll have to pick that back up again when we know each other a little better maybe. Also-" he dug in his hoodie for his phone- "I want your number. If that's okay."

"Yes of course. Hold on." Loki pulled out his phone too and looked through the menus for a second before reading out the numbers and Clint hurriedly punched them into his own, typing in Loki's name and saving the contact information. He opened a new message and sent a quick _it's Clint_ to Loki's phone. He heard the buzz from Loki's phone and he checked it, smiling and adding the number into the phone as well. Clint smiled back at him serenely, happy and, dare he say loved, in Loki's company.


	7. Let's Imagine We're Alone

Loki slumped onto one of the metal stools, wincing at the piercing cold on his ass that came from it and he groaned tiredly. Bruce did the same, leaning against the wall and rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

"Tony, I need a coffee break or something," Loki said. "We've been at this for hours."

Tony was standing at the one of the lab island countertops, scratching his beard and staring at the smoking machine before him sternly. He clicked his tongue and dropped his hand, leaving the machine as is.

"I'm gonna go over the numbers again… What is wrong with this thing?" he mumbled to himself, and Bruce cleared his throat, folding up his glasses and tucking them in his breast pocket.

"I need a nap- I'll come back in an hour." He started out of the lab and Loki called out to him as he reached the door.

"Do you want anything when you get back? I'm going to get something from an actual coffee shop; I'm tired of choking down the stuff Maria gets for the dorm." It tasted like smoke and ash like someone put out their cigarette in the coffee pot.

"Something green tea," Bruce said.

"Hot or cold?"

"Cold. I get hot when I sleep."

Loki let him leave after that, taking note of his choice and looking over at his other 'Science Bro'. "Tony?"

"Uh…" he trailed distractedly as he scribbled on his tablet, looking through his notes critically. "Go to the place on Hadry and 57th, east side of campus. They got this raspberry-chocolate mocha thing: stuffed with sugar- that's what I want. It tastes like heaven and diabetes, if one of those were real, and my clogged arteries sing in chorus when I drink it."

Loki rolled his eyes as he got up and said he'd be back with it soon, stepping out of the lab just as Tony yelled at him to make sure they added extra chocolate shavings to the whipped cream. He stopped by his room for his wallet and coat, stopping short as he left to go back for a scarf. It was getting colder faster and with the autumn winds coming, blowing through the wind tunnel that was the streets between school buildings, Loki would be frozen by the time he made it over to the coffee shop Tony specified.

He cut through campus buildings where he could as he made his way to the east side, warming up minimally before bursting out into the cold again. He got to explore the buildings and their specific classes he'd never been in before- graphic design majors and architects with their works hanging on the walls, toothpick structures sitting on the shootable in the sitting rooms. Marine science and clean studies had charts of the depths of the seas and kinds of creatures that lived in certain levels. Statistics on the pollution and trash dumps in the ocean. The music building echoed eerily with the tones of a choir, and Loki looked into some of the classes briefly through the windows in the doors to watch the bands and orchestra ready their instruments and wait for the cue from the director.

Out the doors and scurrying into another building found Loki among the arts, and he sighed sadly as he looked up at the sketches on the walls from the life drawing class, paintings large and colorful. Loki hadn't spent too much time here, but he still had fond memories of it. When Steve needed a model, they would come here, alone and with the space to spread out, Steve would hold his giant sketchpad against his knee and look intense as he glanced between it and Loki, who stretched himself into position and listened to audiobooks.

Loki wished he didn't miss those times. He wished he couldn't remember the first time they had sex in that room, coming out covered in charcoal and chalk fingerprints from Steve's messy hands. Or that night they spent outside with Steve painting the glowing city below them while Loki stared up into the stars and plotted their positions.

After all of Steve's attempts to explain himself, apologize and ask to try again, Loki knew for sure that he wouldn't give him a second chance. It was a trust that it would be just the two of them that had been shattered. Loki didn't care about the drugs if it had been only that, but in conjunction with finding him in the act with a girl he knew, in a place where they had been together… Loki didn't feel like he was asking too much to do it right the first time- it shouldn't be hard to be faithful. He understood looking at other people, undressing them with your eyes, wondering what it would be like to sample another persons body; not actually going through with it. He didn't understand slips like that, and wouldn't forgive Steve for it.

Loki stopped at the door to one of the classes, seeing Steve right where usually was, back facing the door and digging into his box of supplies with his latest work set on an easel before him. There was a tug at Loki's heart at the sight of him, where if they were still together he would look in on this moment with a small smile and send him a text to turn around so he could wave at him. Now he wasn't sure what to think of him. Loki walked away from the window with a shake to his head, determined to let the last year and some of their relationship fade into old memories that he could look back on and say 'that was nice, but I don't miss it'. He could make better memories with someone else.

He stepped out into the cold again, finally on the east side of campus, and he waited at the stoplight on the corner for the signal to walk. Other students and locals gathered with him, all in their coats and schoolbags, purses, some smiling and talking, others not, and still others bobbing their heads to the music in their earbuds. He pulled out his phone and looked at a map, finding the two streets Tony had mentioned and locating the coffee shop, stepping out onto the street without looking when the rest of the crowd around him started going ahead. He followed them to the other side of the street and consulted the directions on the map, heading away down the sidewalk.

The cafe, when he found it, was large and warm, going in with a group of people and standing near the door to find out where he was supposed to go. It was neither dark nor bright inside, with warm yellow-orange lights against the painted red and orange walls, bronze accents and center pieces, thick and cushy padding on the chairs. It reminded him of an indian restaurant he frequented down by the bay, though there was nothing explicitly depicting anything indian or hindi of the sort. It didn't even smell like coffee inside, it didn't smell like anything but something powdery and soft. The thought was confusing for Loki but maybe it was the vapor from the guy sitting at the table by the door that was giving him that gave him the idea. Loki read the menu hanging above the registers before going up, deciding he would play it somewhat safe for now and get a regular coffee. Maybe he could ask a barista what they think. He stepped aside at the counters, glancing up at the menu one more time before looking around at the workers, trying to find one he could talk to while they worked. As a red-head turned around from the espresso, Loki realized it was Natasha and as she noticed him and nodded, he put up a nervous hand to wave to her. She looked down and made a kicking movement, and Loki leaned against the counter and raised an eyebrow at the exclamation of pain from the other side.

"Ow! Jesus, Nat, not so hard!" the unseen person whispered angrily from under the other side of the counter.

"Get up," she answered and turned back to the machine, starting another cup of coffee.

"Shit- is Greg coming?" they asked hurriedly and popped up from under the counter, revealing Clint in a black apron, swiping it down in an effort to pull out the wrinkles.

Loki's head pulled back on his neck and his eyebrows flew up in surprise at the sight of him, and Clint's face went from forced nonchalance to pleasant surprise as well, setting both hands on the counter and leaning forward a little.

"Hey, darlin'!"

Loki smiled at him once the shock wore off and was genuinely happy to see him. "I didn't know you worked here," he said simply.

"Yep, gotta start paying off the debt soon as I can," he chuckled. "Dorm life ain't cheap. Neither is this school."

Loki knew. Or rather, his parents knew- they were the ones that helped pay for it. Along with the government grants and scholarships. He agreed with a little hum and watched Clint take a deep breath like a lovesick sigh and then turn to Nat to whisper to her. She nodded and Clint hustled down the line of coffee makers and espresso machines, pulling his apron over his head as he came out from behind the work station. As he came up on Loki he touched his arm and led him away, over to a table and told him to sit. He smiled as they sat down and Loki smiled back, looking at his clothes to see if it was a specific uniform. Just a black short sleeve and jeans, though there was a slick black sleeve on his lower arm that Loki picked at as his arm settled on the table.

"What's this?"

"Ah I'm not allowed to show tattoos," Clint explained with a little grumble. It must have been annoying to have to cover up all the time. "You didn't know I worked here? Why'd you show up?"

"We're taking a break from Tony's project- I'm getting the coffee and he wants some crazy drink he said he gets here."

Clint rolled his eyes. "Yeah the raspberry thing. Do you have to leave right away? I mean, I'm on a short break, but do you have to go right now?"

"No, I can stay." Loki let his fingers slide over Clint's and watched his eyes dart back and forth between his own, smiling still.

"Good." He leaned over the table and pressed his lips against Loki's softly, making Loki's heart drum happily as he returned the kiss. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing important."

"You wanna go to the Harvest Festival with me?"

"What's that?"

Clint squinted at him and leaned on the table. "How long have you lived here and you don't know what that is?"

"I don't get out much," Loki said with a huff, not irritated or angry, but maybe a little. At himself because he felt like other people saw him as a shut-in. It wasn't completely true, he liked to go to parties and get drunk and dance, he liked being outside, he just didn't look for things to do. He wondered how well Clint was going to take to that. He seemed like a very active guy.

"Well it's like a fair I guess, but you know, fall stuff. It's hosted by a group of Wiccan ladies, and they hire workers to run the place and educate people on how Wicca isn't devil-worshipping. They got roasted corn and bobbing for apples, pumpkin patches. Shit like that. It's nice."

"Alright."

Clint grinned hard. "Alright! I get off later; I'll text you when to get ready. Probably around six-ish. Sound good?"

Loki agreed and Clint continued to smile, leaning over for another kiss, hand around the back of Loki's neck with his thumb over his pulse. Loki liked how affectionate Clint was, happy that he didn't have to initiate every gesture- Clint seemed perfectly happy to come to him. It seemed like they were further along in their relationship than normal, barely getting to know each other but already intimate enough to kiss and not be awkward. He supposed that was his fault: seducing Clint during the party and nearly having sex, but he wasn't upset about it in the least. Every new relationship wants one thing in common- sex, kissing, intimacy in general, and it's not the sort of thing people have to get to know each other through to find out if they're compatible. Nearly everyone was okay with regular old sex. It was a need and a want, not a like or dislike. Loki thought that was also something he liked about Clint's forward behavior: his willingness to get the nervousness about touching out of the way so they could focus on each other. Something told him they wouldn't have to wait much longer to finish what they had started at the party.

Clint was called back to work and he kissed him one last time before heading over to the machines again, putting his apron back on. Loki got in line for the coffees he had been tasked for and Clint took his order with a smirk, telling him what to get and calling back Tony and Bruce's orders to the baristas. He asked if Tony told him about the extra chocolate shavings on the whipped cream and Loki chuckled and confirmed. Clint shook his head at the demands of the man and had it made up for him. As Loki loaded up the drinks in a carrier and headed out, Clint called out to remind that he'd text him, giving him a small wave and looking smitten. Loki loved it.

* * *

Clint let the heater blow in the truck as he waited in the parking lot, the stereo turned down low and the thing actually smelling clean instead of smelling like sweat. After work he had hurriedly threw all the trash and empty coke cans and fast-food bags away and borrowed some dash cleaner and febreeze from another student as he walked by to his own very nice car. Always count on a guy with a fancy, expensive car to keep cleaners and air fresheners in his trunk. He even had a tiny handheld vacuum that Clint didn't think they made anymore. Cleaned the crumbs right out of his seats. The truck smelled cleaner than when he bought it, when it reeked of cigars instead of young, gross kid. Now if only the outside looked as good as the inside. He couldn't do much about that though, it was a beater that he got for cheap and it suited him. Barely needed any maintenance.

He startled when his passenger door opened suddenly, and Loki climbed in, slamming the door shut behind him to block out the breeze of cold that followed him.

"Hey," Loki said breathily and shook off the cold in the heat of the truck. He glanced around, finding it nice and shiny (not really shiny but clean and that was enough), and spotted the bow hanging from the pegs on the back window, quiver on the seat between them. Clint wondered if he should've taken it into his room, but hadn't thought about it when cleaning- it was always there when he was in the truck.

"Hey," Clint returned, all smiles. He knew his face was going to hurt by the end of the night if he couldn't stop smiling at him, but he couldn't turn it off. He was too happy to be near him. "Ready?" He put the truck in gear and backed out of his spot and drove off campus.

"How far is this place?"

"Like, twenty minutes. It's on the edge of the city- kinda hard to grow a corn maze in between skyscrapers."

"A corn maze?" Loki said quizzically.

"Never been in a maze before, huh?" Clint guessed

"Neither a corn field nor a maze. You have, I take it?"

"Yup! They're fun, you'll like it. When it gets closer to Halloween, they have guys dressed up in horror-movie costumes, like Jason and Jeepers Creepers and shit like that, and they pop out of the field and chase you a little, scare the livin' shit outta you. Hella fun. But that won't happen this time."

"Ugh, I don't want to be chased. I scream. Like, a lot. Watching horror with Thor is impossible because he tries to scare me constantly."

Clint laughed and put his turn signal on, waiting for the green light. "Well, I won't do that to ya. But when the Zombie-pocalypse comes, you can climb on my back and I'll run us to safety while you scream. Sound good?"

* * *

As they found a parking space and started walking across the large gravel parking area, Clint skipped up behind and grabbed Loki's hand, holding it while they went into the festival. There were people everywhere, surprising Loki at how busy it was for a, really, a pagan festival. It was close to sunset and there were huge torches lit to light the place up, hay all over the ground as they walked and a small stage with a few people playing flutes and fiddles, singing. Quite a few people dressed in old, flowing clothes, looking like they walked straight out of the old Celtic country and others were dressed in their normal street clothes. There were games and food, a pair sparring with swords in the distance, and on the right a large pumpkin patch that kids crawled over, choosing their pumpkins to take home, and on the left- the maze.

Clint paid for their entry, a small fee for having all this set up for the public, and Loki let him, saying his thanks as they got the back of their hands stamped with black ink in the shape of antlers with a circle held between them. Clint continued to hold his hand as they entered, stepping aside to let others by.

"Okay," Clint said. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Then we're gonna play a game first, come on!"

He started dragging Loki away chuckling and brought him to a game with little bean bags and long boards with one hole at the top. Clint pushed Loki up to the white line sprayed on the hay and picked up four beanbags from the ground to give him.

"Ever play Cornhole before?"

"Cornhole?" Loki chortled.

"Yeah it's called Cornhole. The bags have corn in them. Well they used to, back in the day."

Loki shook his head, laughing and watched Clint move to pick up his own set of beanbags and go to his own white line in the next aisle. He nodded to one of the workers standing nearby and he nodded in turn, watching their tournament dutifully. Apparently this game was free.

"Okay, so a bag on the board is one point-"

"There are points to this game?" Loki interjected, laughing.

"Yep, and a bag in the hole is three points. Whoever gets to 21 wins. And by winning I mean gets a free ear of roasted corn."

Loki readied himself with a bag in one hand, bending his knees a little and feeling silly but loving it. That board seemed so far away all of a sudden though. "What happens if I don't even hit the board?"

"Then it's not worth anything. Ready?"

"I feel like I'm walking into this unprepared. And this is a bag tossing game. Alright, go."

They began throwing one bean bag at a time, each taking turns, and Loki was playfully irked to find that Clint made a hole in one with every toss. Loki's all landed on the board, never once in the hole at the top and as they moved up to collect their bags back and start at the line again, Clint at twelve points and Loki at four, Clint laughed at him and got ready at his line again.

"Look at you, you little leprechaun! At least you're hitting the board."

"Leprechaun?" Loki said skeptically, giving the first bag a toss.

"Four bags on the board is a clover- makes you a pretty tall and sexy leprechaun. Bet you look good in green."

Loki bursted with laughter and then waved his arms in exasperation when Clint tossed another bag straight into the hole. "How are you doing that?! Are you cheating?"

"I'm just that good darlin'," Clint boasted with a smirk. He tossed his last two bags, perfectly aimed, and the man watching them declared Clint the winner, bringing over a small pink ticket that Clint pocketed, grinning. Loki was smiling too, though he rolled his eyes at him at Clint came closer, grabbing at the bottom of his shirt and leaning up to kiss him. "Come on- we got that food waitin' for us now."

They moved away from the games to a canopy-covered set of tables and a large smoker on the outside, going up to the small table in front of it and the girl waiting there. Clint gave Loki the ticket as they came up and told her to give it to the girl. She smiled and took the ticket from him.

"Won the Bag Toss, huh? Congratulations!"

As she turned around and stopped the smoker, opening the metal door and getting a foil-wrapped ear of corn, Loki smirked at Clint and elbowed him.

"Cornhole?"

Clint rolled his eyes and dug around his pockets for his wallet. "It is where I'm from. You city folk and your 'Bean Toss'." He made a sound of derision though he smiled about it.

The girl handed over the foil in a little paper basket and had one ready for Clint, holding it up in offering. "You gonna get one too?"

"Yeah, here," he paid for his and took it and Loki to a table.

They carefully unwrapped the foil and let the corn cool a minute in the cold air, steaming hot and roasted along the kernels, as they picked out their seasonings from the tray on their table. The corn was already cooked in butter, but there was still a stick of butter on the table on it's own plate, glass cover over it to keep out the bugs. Clint drowned his corn in salt and pepper, debating if he needed more butter or not, and Loki read through the seasonings. He could always stick with the salt and pepper if nothing intrigued him. Coming upon a tiny container labeled 'rib rub' and sniffing it, he hummed and sprinkled it over his ear of corn and dug in. It was delicious. Slightly spicy and smokey, hot and buttery. He moaned at the taste and Clint chuckled breathily as he chewed his own mouthful.

"Good, right?"

Loki made a show of how good he thought it was, eyes rolling back for a second and moaning again before taking another bite. He was sure he was going to be a mess but luckily they had napkins. "Oh, so good."

Clint smiled at him and they continued to eat, watching the festival goers flutter back and forth as the sun set behind the field, listening to the band switch out for another who sang mystical songs of gypsies and ancient queens and dreams. Loki wiped his mouth with a napkin as he watched, taking in the symbols and posters hanging around, some similar to the stamp on the back of his hand.

"How often do you come here?" he asked as Clint took his final bite of his corn.

"Every year. Place is awesome. Hard to find roasted corn any other time of the year. Tried to make it at home with my mom once, oven almost exploded. We're so bad at cooking. I like the ladies that run this place too- the Wiccans? Super nice."

"You know them?"

"Not that much, but I come every year, so I figured out who was who and they talk to you, educate and all that. Like," he took a second to swallow and grab a napkin to wipe his fingers. "This time that they have this festival is called Mabon for them. Getting ready for winter and stuff."

"What about this symbol? Do you know what that is?"

"The moon in the antlers? It's for the Horned God. I guess the stag is a pretty important symbol."

Loki looked down at the black ink on his hand, assessing the picture and seeing the circle between the antlers as a moon for the first time. He rather liked it. And the full pictures he saw on posters- a full frontal of the chest and head of a deer standing tall and regal with the moon cradled between it's antlers; it was somehow powerful for him.

"I like it," he said suddenly, unable to contain his thought about it.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool right? Ready to do the maze? Been waiting for it to get dark."

"I thought we weren't going to get scared," Loki protested weakly as they tossed their papers and foils and husks in the trash.

"You won't. Maybe. Here look."

They walked across the festival grounds to the three entrances of the maze, the one exit far down the field to the right where it came out on the pumpkin patch. There was a sign out front next to a couple workers who handed out flashlights. Clint pointed at the sign.

"So, there are two modes to this game."

"Are you calling the maze a game?"

"It totally is a game," Clint defended with a smile. "One: we can go in, get hella lost and then find our way out. Two: One goes in first, gets two minutes of a headstart, and then the second person chases you down and tries to find you. Guess who gets to chase who down?"

"You."

"Yep! Okay go." Clint pushes Loki up to the workers and tells them they'll be doing the chase, getting Loki a flashlight. They tell the Loki that it'll be collected when they exit the maze, and tell him what Clint had already said- two minutes to get lost. Loki's laughing at himself, laughing at Clint, and can't believe he's going to do this. He turns around to him and shakes his head, but when the worker says go, Loki takes off running into the middle entrance, speeding and turning willy-nilly every which way. He heard Clint shout and laugh at him over the field and he laughed at himself, starting to lose his breath. The flashlight didn't light up much, making it look more and more like a horror scene than actually illuminating his surroundings. And then he thought maybe he wouldn't want to- it might make it easier for Clint to find him.

With the flashlight switched off, Loki found that the moon was out and shining a little, enough to make his way safely. A couple walked around the corner of an adjoining corridor and made him jump, but they walked by him with their flashlight, holding hands and just getting lost together. He knew his time had to have run out and Clint was coming for him. He hoped he made enough turns to give him time to lose him a little more. A few more minutes of sneaking around corners, listening to crickets chirp flashing his light at suspicious shadows to make sure Clint wasn't lying in wait, and Loki was confident he'd won this, starting to turn to find his way out.

There was a rustling in the cornstalks behind him at the end of the corridor, and Loki's heart sped up, thoughts of horror films in his head and feeling silly about it. And then-

"Loki…" Clint whispered from afar, and Loki gasped and ran, whipping around the corners and running long halls as he heard Clint's stomps through the field. It was terrifying and invigorating at the same time, thrilled to be chased and scared to be caught, as Loki turned another corner and ran right into Clint's arms, belting out a scream at the surprise and dropping the flashlight, trying to turn away to run again. But Clint laughed maniacally and held him tight as Loki playfully kicked, lifting him off the ground and turning his back to the wall of stalks to block him in. Loki smacked his arms and let himself be moved, laughing now that his heart was settling down.

"You scared the shit out of me!"

"I said you might get scared," Clint teased, pushing himself closer to Loki against the wall.

"You know this place by heart, don't you?"

Clint hummed happily and leaned in. "Maybe. Maybe I like chasing you too. And catching you. Do I get a prize for winning?"

Loki snorted and wrapped his arms over Clint's neck enticingly. "You think the prey is gonna give you a prize for catching them? What kind of chase is this?"

"Mm, a sexy one I hope," Clint murmured as he leaned in to brush his lips up Loki's neck. "The kind that gets your heart goin', gettin' hot and sweaty."

Clint's leg had pushed between Loki's, pressing his groin against Loki's thigh and letting him feel his arousal already growing, and Loki was pleased to feel it, getting hard as well with Clint's mouth on his neck. The sound of the festival seemed so far away, the glow of the torches lighting a small halo in the distance that he couldn't see. They were nearly alone out there in the dark, only other maze solvers out and about and not many of them at that.

Loki arched his neck in invitation and Clint took it greedily, opening up to bite at the pale skin, making Loki hum with pleasure. He let himself be pressed on, with Clint grinding his hips into him and mouthing hungrily at his neck until Loki bowed his head and brought him into a kiss, breathless and wet. Clint's fingers slithered under his coat and shirt and touched his skin as they kissed, pressing Loki harder into the cornfield wall until it gave way and they fell into it, crashing to the ground with a yelp.

Clint sat up above Loki, panting and concerned. "Are you okay?"

But Loki was done talking, grabbing Clint's jacket and pulling him down to kiss again, and opening his legs for Clint to fit snuggly against him. Clint moaned and ground into him, rubbing their lengths through their jeans as his tongue slipped into Loki's mouth and rolled against his. Loki pulled at Clint's hips, dragging him harder against him and panting as they broke apart for breath, body rocking against the field floor. He watched Clint in the dark, barely outlined by the shine of the moon behind him, positioning to hold himself up and thrust into him, mouth open and gasping, grunting as he raked their bodies together. Loki himself was just as lost in the passion, vision swimming a little. But it was time to break out the big guns and show a little Hecate. He knew how to get Cupid going.

As Clint's arms started to shake and he put himself down on Loki's chest, cursing softly, hands grabbing at Loki's coat to jerk them harder together, Loki moaned and let his eyes slip shut, biting his lip seductively though Clint wouldn't see it.

"Yes, make me come."

"Oh god," Clint hushed, suddenly scrabbling at their jeans to rip them open and pull their hardened flesh out before slamming back onto him again, sliding together. He panted over Loki's neck, frenzied by the slick of their cocks between them, and Loki rubbed his hands over Clint's body, reaching down to hold his ass and push up against him.

"Oh fuck," Clint groaned as he gasped for breath. "I can feel how big you are. Holy shit you're so big."

Loki's heart pounded harder at the admission, letting the words wash over him pleasurably but also with a little trepidation. Clint had to know- he had to. If he didn't right then, he'd figure it out soon. He didn't let it dampen his mood though, letting the fear fall away for the excitement, letting Clint pull up to kiss him again as his hips rolled up into him. The tight spring of orgasm was pulling on him quickly though, and he wouldn't last much longer. Clint seemed just as close, thrusts becoming erratic and pushing harder than what was pleasurable, but it's that slight sting and hard drag that does push them over the edge, orgasm pushing through them in a bursting, melting sensation that has them both moaning, panting as they let it roll through them, burning up their bodies. Loki sighs and picks Clint's head up off his chest, pushing another kiss onto him as they chase the last vestiges of climax with slowing slides together. Clint returns the kiss languidly, losing his previous energy and content to be handled, even slightly. Loki tentatively reaches between them and touches Clint's length, gently tucking him back into his jeans and then doing the same for himself. When Clint sits up and takes in the sight of Loki spread out on the ground, broken stalks of corn all around and surrounded by more standing ones, he smiles shyly and runs his hand down Loki's side. When he looks down though, he finds smears of their semen on the bottom of Loki's coat and he purses his lips guiltily though he starts to chuckle.

"Ah I'm sorry. I made a fucking mess outta you." He swiped his fingers down Loki's hair when he sat up and looked for himself. "And there's hay in your hair."

Loki grunts at the cum on his coat and leaves it for picking the grass out of his hair, Clint helping him. When they stand up finally, Clint's still not happy and he unzips Loki's coat, taking it off and then giving him his own. Loki doesn't protest too much, suddenly quite happy in Clint's jacket once it's on him, but he does make note that Clint will be cold instead. He blows it off and takes Loki's hand, Loki's coat in the other and grabbing the flashlight off the ground, leading him through the maze to the exit and handing off the flashlight to a worker waiting there.

They walked through the pumpkin patch slowly, afterglow of a good orgasm and loving partner warming them up and keeping their hands connected as they chose parallel paths over the row of pumpkins. There were still a few kids running through the rows, overturning the orange orbs and rolling them around playfully, shouting and laughing.

"I don't think the RA will let us keep a pumpkin in the dorm," Clint noted woefully. "I guess it would be bad by the time Halloween came around anyway if we carved it."

Loki hummed in agreement. As they left the patch of field and came back onto the festival proper, Clint stopped him and took a deep breath.

"So, want one last thing before we go? Legit caramel apples." He pointed to a stand with barrels of apples surrounding it, large pots with two ladies standing at them and stirring with long wooden spoons. "They make fresh, on-the-fly caramel or candied apples. Want one?"

Loki's mouth watered at the mention of the caramel and pulled Clint along himself, making the blond chuckle and trail behind him as they came up on the stand. He stared down into the pots as the women stirred and they smiled at him and Clint.

"Good evening, gentlemen," the lady stirring the caramel said, pulling her ginger hair around her shoulder to keep it away from the steam. She wore a long black shirt with flowing sleeves and a silver necklace with three crescent moons locked together on her chest. This, Loki could recognize- she was Wiccan. Loki greeted her in return and then Clint said the same. The woman behind the redhead heaved a heavy pot onto the burner beside the caramel pot and nodded to Clint.

"Back again, Stray Arrow."

"Yep, every year, you know me."

She hummed and smiled, looking over at Loki and seeming to peer right into him. Loki felt like if it had been anyone else it would have been creepy, but she was just looking, not apparently judging. He glanced at Clint at the nickname they seemed to have for him curiously. "And you brought someone with you this time."

Another woman clomped over in heavy boots and a large lacy dress from across the field where a small house sat in the distance, hair in a big braid and the same necklace as the first lady swinging in the movement. She carried a platter of thinly sliced apples, steaming and smelling like brown sugar and cinnamon and spice.

"What's this?" she questioned playfully and set the platter on the table, hand going to her hip and giving Loki the same looking over. "Our little Arrow finally find its way? You're growing up so fast."

Loki looked at Clint with raised brows and a smirk and Clint blushed, holding Loki by the shoulders and turning him to face the women again.

"Please guys, don't bring that up. This is Loki."

The redhead at the pot extended a hand for Loki to shake and the braided woman hummed interestedly.

"Loki. The Norse god."

"My parents are from Norway," Loki explained easily as he tried to hold in his exasperation. He'd gotten questions about his name his entire life, Thor just the same, but at least people tended to think the god Thor was a badass. Not so much for Loki, who ended up getting teased for a year in high school after learning some mythological tales in class- some of them Norse and of course with the god Loki appearing. "I actually hate horses."

The woman in boots cackled and shook his hand next, pleased by his statement. "Well met, Loki. I'm Genevieve. This is Nicole-" she gestured to the ginger and then to the brunette beside her- "And Miranda."

They waved at him and continued to work, stirring the caramel and red melted sugar that made the candied apples. She let them take a slice of the baked apples before telling Clint it was good to see him again and took the platter around the festival, letting everyone take a bit of the treat. Clint had Loki pick his poison and paid for a caramel apple, watching the Nicole grab one of the fruits and spear it with a thick stick, dipping it into the vat of hot caramel and spinning it gently as she pulled it up. She continued to twirl it and cool the sticky substance until it was safe and then handed it over to Loki who took it with a look of awe and appreciation, giving his thanks.

They walked away slowly through the festival grounds, waving goodbye to Genevieve when she saw them leaving, and getting across the parking lot to Clint's truck. Loki gently nibbled at his treat, the caramel peeling away smoothly, still slightly warm and heating up the apple skin.

"So," he drawled curiously. "Stray Arrow? I thought you didn't know them."

Clint made a noise of embarrassment and swung their hands between them, Loki's coat still in his other hand. "They do know me but not like they're my friends, you know?"

"And the nickname?"

"Ugh, an arrow shot and looking to strike someone's heart- I never bring anyone with me here that I'm interested in."

Loki hauled himself into the cab of the truck and waited for Clint to join him, shutting out the cold and the festivities in the silence of the vehicle. "I thought you had perfect aim?"

Clint chuckled as he turned the ignition and the engine roared to life, radio coming on quietly as they pulled out of the gravel parking lot. "I do. But when there's no target..."

"Stray Arrow."

"Yup."

"Do they know you're into archery?"

"Sure do."

Loki hummed and continued to chew at his apple as Clint drove, listening to the radio and looking out the window at the city lights as they passed. After a minute he held out the apple for him.

"Want a bite?"

And Clint took a bite out of it, both of them chuckling as a strip of caramel slapped his face as he ate it.

The apple was finished between them as they pulled into the school parking lot again, and Loki tossed the core into the grass as they walked across to their dormitory, holding hands again. The stick made it into the trash in the kitchen and they went upstairs to their floor. When they stop at Loki's door, Clint sighed happily and thanked Loki for going with him. He's not sure whether to give Loki his jacket back or if he should wash it himself, but Loki decided for him, shrugging off Clint's coat and handing it to him as he took back his own. As Loki leaned down to kiss him goodnight, they both comment on how strange it is to do this when Clint lived right down the hall, but they did both need their space. They weren't married after all, they had to get time away from each other in the comfort of their own rooms.

They kissed again, unwilling to let go, but Loki soon turned away and Clint sighed again, going to his own room. Loki watched him go for a second before going in, tossing his soiled coat into the laundry basket. Thor laid in his bed, phone up and surfing through the internet, and he glanced up at his brother briefly.

"Hey."

Loki was in too good a mood to be put off by Thor tonight, sitting on the edge of his bed and pulling out his own phone. "Hi."

"Mom called- she wants us at home for Christmas."

"That's three months away but alright," Loki agreed distractedly, typing in his phone to Clint already.

"Where were you? I tried to call, and you left your phone here."

"I was out with Clint."

Thor grunted and swiped through his phone still. "That the guy who had me help him bring you here that night you were wasted?"

"The very same," Loki sighed as he flopped back into the bed and kicked his shoes off. Clint was replying to his texts, going back and forth like sappy lovebirds.

"Are you dating him now? What happened to Steve? I like him."

Loki scoffed. "I told you what happened. He cheated on me- I was crying for days, don't you remember?"

Thor seemed displeased, furrowing his brow at his phone for a moment before sitting up and actually looking at his brother. Loki glanced at him. "What?"

"He cheated on you? With who?"

Loki huffed angrily, knowing he had told Thor this already but he never seemed to listen. Bringing up the subject right after his night with Clint didn't help his mood either. "Darcy."

"Darcy?"

"Fucking Darcy Lewis, Thor! Your stupid girlfriend's 'bestie' fucked my boyfriend! Where have you been the last four months? Do you have your head so far up Jane's ass that you can't acknowledge anything else around you?"

"I've been busy trying to get through this school! I don't have time to deal with your bedroom drama when I can barely keep up with my schoolwork. All you do is screw around and party with Tony because you're so smart and blow through your classes, and you have no idea what it's like for me."

Loki sat up slowly and watched Thor's face, saddened and angry, elbows resting on his knees in an attempt to ball up and seem manly about it. Thor never talked about his classes or schoolwork, never once mentioned his grades or if he was struggling. Loki really didn't have any idea. Thor was smart, he had won scholarships as well, but he wasn't like Loki. It was a guilty realization for him.

Thor sighed heavily and let his phone fall onto the covers of his bed. "The work is pretty tough and Jane's been trying to help me, but I don't want her to think I'm stupid. She's already my girlfriend- she doesn't need to be my teacher too. I don't want to have to separate our time together as girlfriend and student. I just want her to be 'girlfriend'."

"You're not stupid, Thor." Loki scooted to the edge of his bed and tapped a finger nervously, guiltily on his bedspread. "I'm sorry I haven't been paying you any attention. I didn't know you were struggling- you never say anything about it. I can help you."

Thor scoffed and shook his head.

"I can," Loki stressed. "I've just been playing around with Tony and Bruce on some crazy project, and it's not even for school- I don't have to work on it. We can study in here or go to a study room or the library. Whatever you want."

Thor was silent for a moment as he thought. "Can we start on Wednesday?"

"We can start on Wednesday," Loki confirmed gently.

"Thank you."

They laid back down in their beds and continued to play on their phones, awkward moment over and Loki still felt bad, glancing at Thor every now and then while he texted Clint the details.

 _Get it all figured out?_

 _Yes, we're just terrible at being brothers._


	8. Let's Get it on

Loki sat at his desk, arm resting on its surface and holding up his latest read while he put his feet up on the end of the bed. Thor sat at his desk as well, laptop open and earbuds in, Pandora playing while he checked his Facebook. They were taking a break from studying, something they quickly realized needed to happen every couple hours to keep them from losing their steam and fighting. But it was late in the night and they probably wouldn't pick it back up again. They would start again tomorrow anyway.

With a knock at their door, Loki glanced over at Thor, who look at him curiously too and shrugged. He apparently hadn't been expecting anyone. Loki huffed and checked his phone for the time, and surely Maria wouldn't be calling this late for a room check. They knocked again.

"Come," Loki called roughly.

The door opened and Clint poked his head through, Loki's disgruntled frown instantly turning into a smile at the sight of him, though Clint didn't smile quite as hard as he usually did.

"Hey," Clint greeted softly, looking nervous. "Can I come in for a few?"

"Of course."

Clint entered and shut the door silently behind him, turning to sit on Loki's bed and holding a hand up at Thor in greeting when Thor nodded at him and went back to his laptop. Loki put his feet down and watched Clint with worry forming on his face, seeing him grip the edge of the bed tightly and nervously kick his booted toe at the carpet.

"Tony's got a girl over," he explained quietly. "And I left my phone in the room."

Loki tilted his head at him and took a quick breath, turning down the page in his book and setting it aside. He got up and went over, taking a seat beside him, shoulders touching. Loki could see Clint was sweating, his shoulders and biceps slightly shiny in his thin, sleeveless hoodie he wore when he worked out, and he took shaky, deep breaths like he was holding something back. He hadn't seen Clint like this yet, whatever was happening, Loki was unsettled by it.

"Are you okay?" he asked lowly, not wanting to draw Thor's attention to them.

Clint still hadn't looked up at him since he sat down, and he nodded jerkily, thumb starting to tap uncontrollably on the mattress. "I'm good," he assured with a raspy voice and a stuffy sniff. A tear fell onto his leg and it prompted Loki to turn Clint's face to him, seeing the reddened rims of his eyes filling with them.

"Clint, what's wrong?"

Clint squeezed his eyes shut, sliding another tear down his cheek and he bit his lip and shook his head until Loki pulled him close and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. The comforting gesture made Clint sob once, burying his face in Loki's shoulder and hugging him tight, the back of Loki's shirt gripped in his fists as he silently cried.

Loki was speechless as he rubbed Clint's back slowly, glancing over his shoulder at Thor, who watched with concerned questioning on his face. Loki made a face that said he didn't know what was going on either, and Thor shrugged, turning to his computer once more.

Clint sniffed wetly, catching his breath, but he didn't pull away, keeping his face hidden. "My mom called me," he said thickly, trying to make his explanation quick before he bawled again. "She said my- my dog died today." He shook in another bout of silent tears.

Loki's heart swelled sadly and he sighed, rubbing Clint's back again and touching his lips to the top of his head. "Oh, Clint. I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I didn't think I was gonna take it so hard, but she- She was my baby. My Mona. I raised her!"

Loki didn't have words for him. Thor and Loki had never had a pet before, and never felt the tragedy that was a beloved pets death. He continued to hold Clint close until his shaking ceased and he pulled away sniffing and taking deep breaths. He wiped his face on his arm, the skin around his eyes red and wet, and he kept his head down so Loki wouldn't see him completely.

"Fuck, sorry."

"It's alright," Loki responded quietly, letting his hand slide down Clint's arm to rest on his hand, thumb rubbing his skin soothingly.

"I just- Ugh… She called and I was really upset and usually I just do some weights or practice to let off steam but-" he sighed and rubbed his face and Loki waited patiently. "It just wasn't working today. And with stupid Tony taking up the room…"

"It's alright," Loki repeated. "Do you want to stay here tonight?"

The notion seemed to take Clint by surprise, head jerking up to look him in the eye and then around at the bed they sat on.

"Stay- Like, sleep with you?"

Clint's reaction made Loki think that maybe he'd jumped the gun and they weren't close enough yet to reach such a weirdly intimate gesture as simple sleeping in the same bed. Never mind that they'd slept together before, when they hadn't even met. They were dating now, it was somehow different.

Loki shrugged. "Well, we have slept together before… If you don't want to-"

"I'm so down," Clint rushed, sniffy wetly still and standing suddenly to tug at his belt, dropping his pants to the floor with a flop. "I call little spoon."

Loki watched him undress with uncertain surprise, stripped down to his boxers and crawling to the one pillow and slipping under the covers. He snorted and undressed as well, putting on his pajamas and going into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He tapped Thor on the shoulder and when he pulled out an earbud to listen, Loki told him they were going to bed and would turn the light off. Thor nodded and said goodnight, replacing the bud in his ear.

Loki flicked the light off and veiled the room in pale darkness, the light of Thor's computer making it easy for Loki to climb into the bed behind Clint. As he settled under the covers, his heart pounded at their close proximity and scooted even closer, his chest pressed against Clint's naked back and arm wrapping around him. It wasn't as sexual as he thought it was going to be when his hips pressed into Clint's ass, and he was relieved. They had already slept together once, touched each other before- why did it seem so much more personal now?

Clint wiggled back in his grasp and sighed, his hand going up to Loki's on his chest and entwining their fingers. "Thanks for not kicking me out after I bawled all over you," he murmured.

"I wouldn't do that to you." He buried his lips in Clint's hair and sighed, and Clint squeezed the fingers between his gently.

Loki wasn't that tired, but he wasn't going to turn Clint away. He would fall asleep eventually and hopefully give Clint a night of comfort in his arms.

* * *

Loki sighed and checked his phone again. He was late. Thor was always late. Loki leaned against the back of the commons couch, notebooks in hand, waiting for Thor so they could study together again. Thor said it was helping him, and Loki had to believe him, but it hadn't been long enough to see grade improvement yet. But he could never make it to their sessions on time.

He grumbled and pushed off the couch, striding through the commons and out of the dormitory building, heading for the weight room. Thor worked out everyday after classes- Loki knew he would be there.

In the gym and weights and conditioning building, Loki stopped at the weight room door and peeked through the window to see if he was there or if he was in the showers. And there he was, sitting on the end of a benchpress, wiping his forehead with a towel. Loki pushed open the door and marched across the black rubber matts, giving Thor an unamused, expectant look when he got his attention.

"You're late. I'm not going to keep waiting for you- you can't be on time to save your life."

Thor had yet to say anything, but when Clint on the benchpress beside him sat up with a heavy and tired sigh, he snorted at him and let his head hang over his open legs, ignoring Loki's chiding.

Loki was looking between Clint and Thor with confusion, finding them working out together and being friendly very strange. Clint just smiled at him and breathed heavily, sweating and catching his breath. Most of Loki's steam disappeared at the sight of him, and he tried to hate that it happened, but he couldn't resist Clint.

"Hey, babe."

"Babe?"

"Would you rather be babe or darlin'?"

Loki blinked in confusion. "I have no preference. What is this? Are you- friends now or…"

Thor got up and walked by him, heading away to the door, but Loki heard him talking to someone far behind them so he didn't bother going after him now. Clint shrugged and got up as well, exuding heat and arms glistening in his sweats and sleeveless hoodie. Loki couldn't help but notice.

"He's just looking out for you. No sweat."

Yes, yes a lot of sweat… Loki shook away his daydreams and stammered. "Looking out- What? I don't understand."

Clint didn't answer though, looking over Loki's shoulder with concern. Loki turned and saw Thor standing in front of Steve, suddenly grabbing at the front of Steve's shirt and jerking him close. Loki knew Thor's signs for a fight, and this was surely it.

"Thor!" he yelled as he ran over, just catching the end of Thor's whispering threats as he stepped between him and Steve. He pressed Steve away with one hand and looked Thor sternly in the face. "Thor, back off."

"Back off?" Thor scoffed angrily, hand still scrunched in Steve's shirt tightly. "He-"

"I know what he did, and I'm telling you to leave him alone."

Steve didn't raise his voice, standing in Thor's grip calmly. It scared Loki a little, because he didn't know who would win if it came down to the both of them fighting it out.

"I'm just here to work out."

Clint was at Thor's side then, a hand on his meaty arm to hold him off. "Let him go, man."

Thor was nearly growling, furious at Steve and holding his gaze with a burning stare until Loki put a steadying hand on his chest.

"Thor."

With a huff Thor shoved Steve away, and Clint patted him arm as they turned away together.

"Come on, let's shower up," he said and led Thor away.

Loki turned around to Steve, taking a step back to give him space. "I'm sorry, he's just-"

"Forget it, Loki." Steve dismissed, stepping right by him and going to the weight machines, leaving Loki standing on the mats alone.

* * *

Clint pulled his shirt off in the locker room, tossing it on the bench and going for his pants as he kicked off his shoes. Thor sat further down on the benches and unlaced his sneakers before pulling them off with a huff.

"Don't worry about him, man. Loki's got it taken care of."

Thor sighed roughly through his nose, still letting out his pent up anger slowly. "I know he does. He always has everything figured out. I just didn't think Steve was…" Thor shook his head and stood to pull off his pants, grabbing a towel to cover up as they walked together to the showers. "I didn't peg Steve as dishonest. I liked him. He was good to Loki."

Clint grunted at the sentiment and hung his towel on the hook by the dial of the shower, twisting it on and letting it warm up as he stood aside. He didn't want to think about Loki with Steve. Didn't want to think of him with anyone but himself. He wasn't jealous of Steve, he knew that, because Loki was with him now and Steve had already messed up his chances of trying again, but he couldn't think of Steve being 'good to Loki' without imagining Loki getting railed by him in the bed they had slept in together. That wasn't jealousy, was it?

The water started steaming and Clint stepped in the stream, wetting down before reaching for the soap. "Well, sometimes you just can't tell about people," he said neutrally and handed Thor the soap when he held his hand out for it.

Thor lathered up and rinsed, and used the bottles mounted to the tile wall for shampoo. Clint did the same but rinsed considerably faster with his shorter hair.

"And you?" Thor challenged. "Am I not going to be able to know you?"

"I dunno. But I've never cheated on a boyfriend before. I don't plan to now."

"Loki tells me Steve didn't plan to either."

Clint sighed and made his final rinse, turning the shower off by the squeaky knob. He looked at Thor sternly, who watched him just as strong. "I'm not going to cheat on your brother. You can know that for sure. I don't cheat anyways, and I like him too much for that even if I had a history of cheating. He's the best thing I've got going for me. He's a kinky, sexy, smart little shit and I think I'm in love with him."

Thor's twitch of eyebrows made Clint wince, pulling his towel off the hook with a sigh.

"Was that too soon? I haven't said it to him yet."

"Don't," Thor grumbled and shook his hair in his towel. "Steve said it just as early on, and Loki fell right into it."

Clint scrubbed the towel over his back and thought on Thor's observation, wondering if Loki was that susceptible to proclamations of love. It seemed… naive. He knew Thor was now trying to protect his brother from heartache after Steve apparently broke it.

"Steve got him pretty bad, huh?"

Thor sighed and they walked back to the lockers, fishing out their shorts. "Loki is very trusting to those that show him affection. He had very few boyfriends in high school, and they all had to be kept secret. He was a sarcastic douche because he was smarter than everyone else, and he had no friends because of it. The only attention he got was from his boyfriends in secret, and from me and our parents at home. So when we came here and he met Steve and they started dating-"

"Steve drops the L word and Loki's head over heels," Clint finishes.

"Yes." They tugged on their regular clothes in the muggy air of the lockers and Thor sat on the bench to put his boots on. Clint just slips his feet into his, leaving them unlaced. "Loki feels deeply, whether it's anger or love- anything, and he loses his objectivity quickly when faced with these emotions. As a family we've always been there to help keep his feet on the ground."

Clint leaned against the lockers and crossed his arms, furrowing his brows and Thor curiously. "For a stupid, brute brother I hear about from Loki, you sound pretty fucking smart."

Thor chuckled, not taking the insults from Loki to heart. "I've just known Loki my whole life. It takes a long time to figure out how to handle him."

Clint hummed at that and took a deep breath of finality, ready to close down their conversation. "So I should wait for him to drop the bomb."

"I would wait, yes."

* * *

"Number four is wrong."

"What? How?"

Loki pushed the paper across the table and tapped his pencil on the work in question. "It was serfdom, not a democratic system- they weren't allowed to break away."

Thor grunted and erased his answer, filling in with the new one and looking down the list for others he'd missed. It was silent in the study room, late in the night and only Thor, Loki, and Clint at the large table. Loki skimmed through Thor's textbook and syllabus as Thor filled out his worksheets, and Clint, with his own thick textbook open and arms crossed over it, had his head down and slept. He'd decided to stay up with Loki and Thor to get some work done himself, but he tended to do this work during the day and played around at night. Studying was boring even if he had an interest in it.

"And 16? How is- Oh, I see it…" Thor huffed and erased again.

Loki let him figure out his own mistake and put his hand on Clint's arm, giving him a little shake. He hummed tiredly and picked up his head, groggy and puffy-eyed.

"Go to bed," Loki said quietly.

Clint groaned and rubbed his eyes, stretching out and giving a quick yawn. "I'm good. Just needed a nap. I don't know how you guys do this. I can't do school at night- I gotta play."

Loki wanted to hum playfully, but he held it in, mostly for Thor's sake. He also didn't want to seem too interested in whatever Clint meant by 'play'- he would be springing his surprise tonight.

"You don't have to stay with us," Loki offered. "I'm going to get my own work done and Thor's almost finished. He has a date to catch."

Clint leered at Thor while he stretched his arms some more. "Oh yeah? Late-night hot date with your star-girl?"

Thor chuckled and confirmed, a big smile on his face.

Clint hummed with interest as he flipped his book shut and got up, pulling Loki's head back playfully by his hair. "Wish I had a hot late-night date tonight."

Loki snorted as he looked up at Clint's upside-down face. "Maybe if I didn't have so much work to do."

"Yeah I know," he sighed and kissed him gently. "Night babe."

"Goodnight."

"See ya, Thor. Have fun."

"I will!"

A moment after Clint shut the study room door behind him, Thor stretched himself, leaning back in his chair and watching Loki knowingly. Loki glanced up at him under his brows.

"What?"

Thor snickered. "I know why you're making me take Jane out tonight."

"Because you're a terrible boyfriend and she desperately needs attention?"

"You're going to screw Clint tonight! …Or is he going to screw… you. Huh."

Loki shook his head and smirked, shutting the textbook and pushing it across the table to Thor. "You don't know which of us is top? Who did you think topped when I was with Steve?"

"I guess I don't like to think about it. Was it you?"

"Pfft! No. Steve is a staunch pitcher."

"And with Clint?" Thor led curiously.

Loki took a big breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know. Well, I'm sure I know for the first time, but if he's open to being bottom- that I don't know."

"He has a rainbow tattoo on his arm," Thor said like it explained everything.

Loki rolled his eyes and got up to leave, but he wasn't upset. "You're an idiot. A rainbow doesn't tell you who takes it in the ass. Why are we having this conversation? Go away so I can have sex without you hovering outside the door."

"I didn't hover!"

"Whatever," he dismissed and let the door click behind him and shut out Thor's protests.

Excitement quickening his heart, Loki hustled down the hall and jumped the stairs two by two, nearly running to his room. He toed off his shoes and threw himself onto the bed, pulling his phone out of his pocket and taking a deep calming breath as he opened his messages to Cupid. He couldn't believe how hard he was already, palming his cock through his jeans to cool himself down a little as he typed. _Waited long enough? I want you so bad._

In the couple minutes Loki spent waiting for a response, he hoped Clint hadn't simply gone to bed for the night. He'd have to go in there himself and just have to tell him who he was later. Less exciting, but if it happened that way… And then the ellipsis popped up and Loki's heart thrummed again.

 _Well hey there… Must've missed me if you want me already. I didn't even have to say anything._

Loki hummed lowly as he replied, legs clenching so he didn't buck his hips at nothing. He was already imagining Clint's body against his; hot, wet kisses trailing down his neck… He had to control his breathing for a moment. _Yes, it's been so hard to control myself. I'm already so hot… Are you going to fuck me tonight?_

 _You know it, darlin'. Tell me how much you want it. Show me._

Cupid's demands of showing never made Loki hesitate, instantly ripping his jeans open and shoving them down his legs, kicking them onto the floor and positioning the phone above him to snap a picture of his hard length lying on his belly. He sent it and then typed quickly.

 _I want it so bad… Please don't make me wait any more, I've been so good waiting for you. I just want your hard cock in my mouth, sliding into my ass… Please…_

After he sent it he felt like it sounded too needy, a lot like a crappy porno on the internet, but he had to heat Clint up fast in order to get it going. He needed Clint so hard he would burst at the slightest touch, and then send his surprise- a full picture of his debauched and ready body, face and all. Loki himself was all ready to go, he just needed Clint in the room.

Cupid's response took a moment, but he was typing the whole time, seeming just as ready to move their excursion along as fast as possible.

 _Fuck your big dick gets me going every time. You going to suck me, darlin? Make it nice and wet so I can pound your ass? Fuck you til you scream. Should I come inside you or make you suck my cock until I come in your mouth?_

Loki's eyes drew up as he fisted himself at the message, not even sure what he would want if Clint were to have his way with him. Everything, probably. As he started to type back, he got another message though, and he erased it to read instead.

* * *

 _I'm gonna get you ready for me, put my fingers inside you, drive you crazy until you can't take it anymore. Close your eyes baby, ready to feel me? I'm licking up your thighs, tasting that sweet big cock with my fingers in you, pumping you til you moan. You want it don't you? Close your eyes and jerk yourself off until I say stop. Do you feel me?_

Clint sent the text, and with his heart hammering out of his chest, he waited at the door for the sound of the message received on the other side. He was near panting, open-mouthed so he wouldn't make a sound, and harder than he'd ever been in his life. He put his ear to the door and waited, hearing a pleased and frustrated sigh on the other side. He counted three seconds and slowly, silently, twisted the doorknob, pushing the door open to the slightest crack, just enough to peer in and see Loki on his bed, head back on the pillow and eyes closed. Clint panted silently at the sight, pushing the door further and squeezing himself through, shutting the door just as silently, but quickly.

Loki was still pumping himself at a steady pace, fingers of his free hand trailing down his belly and over his thighs, reaching down to cup himself for a moment. Clint backed up to Thor's bed and slowly sat, still making no sound. He looked away, down at his phone and his heart still hammering, listening to Loki's heavy breaths, and he brought up his contacts, hitting 'call' under Hecate's number.

After a few seconds, Loki's phone burst with music, ringtone blaring and startling Loki out of his fantasy. Clint watched him stare fearfully at his phone, reading that it was Cupid calling him, and he could tell Loki couldn't decide what to do. So intense in staring at his screen, Loki wasn't even seeing Clint on the next bed. And he answered the call. He put the phone up to his ear and his hand slapped over his mouth nervously as he laid back down, listening to silence of the other end before taking his hand away.

"Where are you?"

Clint smirked and clicked the 'end call'. "Right here, darlin."

Loki shot upright at the sound of his voice, eyes wide in scared surprise, and Clint chuckled as he stood up and tossed his phone on the bed. Loki threw his phone at Clint's chest as he went closer, bouncing down to the floor and Loki was badly trying to disguise his growing happiness with anger.

"You asshole!" he shouted as Clint clambered down onto him, pushing him back onto the bed. "You scared the shit out of m-!" And Clint silenced him with his own mouth, laying him on the covers and pressing into him full-bodied. Loki's hands wrapped around the back of his neck, hips bucking up into Clint's clothed ones and putting his knees up. Clint swiped his hands down Loki's front and drove his tongue into him as he frantically began tugging at his jeans and shoving them down to press their naked skin together, moaning at the contact of their lengths between their bellies. Loki's feet helped to pull his jeans the rest of the way off, devouring Clint's mouth and pulling at his ass to grind them harder. Clint was losing his breath, pulling away to gasp and roll his hips down, watching Loki try to keep his noise under wraps, and he went down to bite at Loki's neck.

"There's lube in my jeans, but do you have any right here?"

Loki's hand flew out to his bedside table, scrambling for the drawer and digging inside to come out with a small bottle. Clint took it and squeezed some of the lubricant on his fingers, tossing the bottle onto the bed for later. As his wet fingers touched Loki's entrance, Loki's breath rushed out of him and then he moaned when they pushed in, two at once. Clint pressed into him and slowly thrust them in and out, laying against Loki's side and rubbing his cock against Loki's thigh as he bit at him.

Loki's moans urged Clint to pump him faster, adding another finger into him until Loki shoved his hand away, pulling Clint's body onto his fully and lifting one knee up his side in invitation. His eyes were nearly closed, mouth open in panting. Clint's arousal bumping against Loki's backside had him balking though, bending back to reach for his jeans and rummage through the pockets while Loki tried not to whine, hands pulling at him to come back.

"Clint, please," he gasped and Clint came back up, square foil of a condom in hand.

"Hold on baby."

Never before had Clint wished so hard that protection wasn't needed. He wanted to pound Loki immediately, just as bad as Loki wanted it, and he tried to move as fast as he could to open the packet and roll the latex down his length. Grabbing the lube again, he squeezed it into his hand and stroked himself slick, leaning over Loki again to line up and gently press the tip of his cock into him. Loki had stopped breathing at that point, eyes closed and mouth still open though it seemed he was waiting for something. Clint moaned behind his lips as he pushed further and then Loki let out his own quaking sigh, hands sliding up under Clint's shirt and pulling it off him to put them chest to chest. When he bottomed out inside him, Clint didn't wait, pulling right back out to thrust in again and make Loki moan with him. The heat between them was too much, already slick with sweat, and Clint held himself up on his hands by Loki's ribs, using the leverage to piston into him steadily, huffing with the effort. Loki scratched down Clint's chest and tried to hold him tight even as his body rocked against the bed. It was already too much for the both of them- the waiting, the excitement, the sex itself. Clint was already pounding into Loki with the building heat in his groin, speeding to finish line to feel that ecstatic explosion of white lightning. Panting, Clint sat up on his knees, grabbing Loki by the hips and pulling him onto his cock bodily, down to the base to take him all in, making Loki cry out low and long as he reached for his cock.

"You feel me, baby- fucking you good? This how you like it?"

Loki's reaction- another long moan and a sudden squeeze of Loki's body around his length, made Clint's body pulse and try to thrust harder into him, hard as he could go. So close now that he couldn't close his mouth.

"Taking my cock all the way- perfect little god-slut. Fuck-" he began to gasp and feel the tightening as the base of his cock, suddenly fucking into Loki fast, aching as he let that feeling wash over him that something was _coming_. In the next second, barely hearing Loki start to cry out his pleasure, Clint's legs shook and his whole body shuddered, cock pulsing inside Loki's hot, willing body and he felt like he was missing for a moment- all thought, all being wiped out for these few precious seconds of shaking, heated, bright bliss. As his body slowly became his again, the last strains of orgasm still being chased by his stuttering hips, Clint slumped over Loki, head hanging down to brush his hair against Loki's heaving chest, gasping heated breath across his belly as he came down from his high. Once Loki's breathing had leveled more, Clint laid down on him, squishing Loki's cum between them and pulling him into a slow, sated and exhausted kiss. Clint slowly stopped their kiss and watched Loki's pale green eyes blink tiredly, feeling like he probably looked the same.

"How long have you known?" Loki murmured.

"Couple days," he admitted and then chuckled gently. "No one's got a dick like you darlin."

Loki sighed and barely had the energy to shake his head on the pillow. "I knew I'd give it away somehow."

"Yeah you got it so bad: Poor Loki's got a big cock," he teased quietly and he smiled that it made Loki snort and roll his eyes. "When did you know it was me?"

"Since the fire alarm Tony pulled."

Clint squinted as he thought about it, putting his head on Loki's chest. "Ah jeez, when you had me grope myself in front of everyone! You were standing right there texting me- why didn't you say anything?"

"I was having too much fun fantasizing about you."

Clint snorted and sat up, soft flesh falling out of Loki's body and he pulled the condom off, holding it up and looking around the room. "Uh… trashcan?"

"Bathroom."

"Right." He groaned as he got up and tossed the soiled rubber in the trash, coming back to find Loki scooting under the covers, balled up shirt wiping at his belly and throwing it into the laundry basket. He hustled under with him, pulling Loki into him and pressing their naked skin, kissing lovingly again. He lived for this, he decided. Hard, passionate sex at night and sweet cuddling, waking up next to him and going out for breakfast. They'd go to class, text back and forth, meet in the afternoon and tease and study and play just to do it all over again. Well- unless they wanted to have sex in places other than their rooms; they couldn't have a sock on the door indefinitely. Clint wasn't opposed to the notion.

As they figured out their positions and settled in, arms around each other and Loki's chin on top of Clint's head, Clint's heart swelled and he wanted to say it. He almost said it, catching it deep in his throat before it bubbled up. If what Thor said was true, Loki would feed off whatever emotion and words Clint gave him, whether he actually felt it or not, and he realized that Thor asked him to wait so that Loki could figure it out himself. He'd say it himself and it would be true. He could wait.

After a moment of silence, cuddled and eyes closed as they welcomed sleep to come over them, Loki chuckled softly, drawing Clint's eyes up.

"God-slut?" Loki uttered and Clint snorted, burying his face in the top of Loki's chest.

"I'm not responsible for the shit that comes out of my mouth during sex."

Loki chuckled a moment more before settling down, rubbing his nose into the top of Clint's head. Hugging Loki tight and getting a soft puff of air into his hair for it, Clint sighed and cuddled close, ready to sleep so he could wake up with him sooner. He would wait.


End file.
